RODIAH BINTI MUSTAFA, PUSAT UMT IHSAN

The Asnaf to Asnaf (A to A) programme, a community tuition initiative organised by Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) in collaboration with Etiqa Family Takaful Berhad, has entered its fourth season with notable success.

The A to A programme is one of UMT’s innovations in zakat distribution. First implemented in 2018, the programme has made a positive impact on the school students. This year, the programme has been rebranded as Etiqa Community Tuition, in recognition of the contributions made by Etiqa Family Takaful Berhad, the main sponsor.

With an increased funding allocation of RM365,400, UMT Ihsan, the programme’s coordinator, is now able to expand A to A to include a wider range of participants and schools. The programme continues to assist more primary and secondary school students in need of academic guidance, particularly in mastering basic literacy and numeracy skills (3M – reading, writing, and arithmetic).

To honour donors and strategic partners, UMT Ihsan organised a special event, the Ihsan Ramadan Ceremony and the Launch of the Asnaf To Asnaf Programme, on 15 March. The event also provided an opportunity for UMT’s top management to show appreciation to corporate partners who have funded the A to A programme and engage directly with asnaf students.

In attendance at the ceremony were delegations from Etiqa, Kuala Nerus District Education Department, and administrators from selected schools. The event served as a platform to strengthen collaborative efforts in supporting the local asnaf community and UMT students.

During the event also attended by selected asnaf members of the UMT community, Etiqa Family Takaful Berhad contributed RM10,000.00 in zakat funds to UMT to support asnaf students, RM10,000.00 in duit raya (festive allowances) for 200 asnaf students, and RM5,000.00 to provide free iftar meals for 200 asnaf students.

“With the continued support of strategic partners like Etiqa, UMT remains committed to strengthening community education and playing a crucial role in the nation’s human capital development,” said UMT Vice-Chancellor Prof. Ir. Ts. Dr Mohd Zamri Ibrahim in his speech during the event.

At the event, Etiqa also reinforced its collaboration with UMT through the Etiqa Wakaf Boardwalk project, an initiative aimed at preserving the mangrove ecosystem to support biodiversity conservation while serving as a platform for environmental awareness.

The ceremony was also attended by the CEO of Etiqa Family Takaful Berhad, Zafri Ab Halim, along with the company’s sustainability team, who visited the project site.