THE RELEVANCE OF NEGERI SEMBILAN BAITULMAL CORPORATION: AN INITIAL REVIEW

1. Institute of Islam Hadhari, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia. 2. Research Centre for Arabic Language and Islamic Civilization, Faculty of Islamic Studies, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia. ...................................................................................................................... Manuscript Info Abstract ......................... ........................................................................ Manuscript History Received: 20 June 2020 Final Accepted: 24 July 2020 Published: August 2020

The Majlis Agama Islam Negeri Sembilan (MAINS) is the state authority entrusted by the Yang di-Pertuan Besar Negeri Sembilan, Undang Yang Empat and Tunku Besar Tampin, with the responsibility for all Islamic religious affairs, particularly relating to Muslim wealth or property and socio-economy. Therefore, in order to empower and efficiently manage Muslim wealth or property, MAINS has introduced the Baitulmal Corporation Enactment 2015. It constitutes an effort to strengthen the administrative machinery for better management of Islamic affairs by Baitulmal, and to delegate powers by MAINS to the Baitulmal Corporation of Negeri Sembilan. However, there are some issues submitted in this research in the establishment of Baitulmal Corporation of Negeri Sembilan (PBMalNS) based on the statement of the seventh Menteri Besar of Negeri Sembilan relating to the expectations regarding the Corporation, and the speech of the Chairman of MAINS relating to its course or direction. This attracted the interest of the researcher to conduct an initial review of the Perbadanan Baitulmal Corporation of Negeri Sembilan. The objective of this research is to examine the process of establishing the Baitulmal Corporation and evaluate its relevance based on the philosophy for incorporation of Baitulmal in the said 2015 Enactment. This research uses qualitative methodology, namely, literature review by reference to state laws, departmental official documents, minutes of meetings, annual reports, related books and published articles. Based on research results, it can be stated that the process of establishing the Baitulmal Corporation of Negeri Sembilan commenced in November 2018 and its operations came into full effect by 1 st of May 2019. However, the researcher has identified the occurrence of a variance between the philosophy and goal of its establishment. Further, it is found that there is a gap in the re-structuring of agencies prior to and on the formation of the Baitulmal Corporation, which needs due attention and action in order to make the Baitulmal Corporation of Negeri Sembilan a relevant Islamic institution.

Introduction:-
In Malaysia, the Federal administrative machinery plays an important role in executing the duties of governance and administration by the Cabinet and Ministries (Ahmad Atory 2007; Ahmad Atory 2008). Public corporations, civil service and quasi-government agencies, legally established by Parliament or State Assemblies, are for the purpose of focusing on developing the socio-economy to enable direct involvement of the federal or state government in the private sector.
According to Sabitha et al. (1994), the establishment of a statutory body has two goals, namely, to enable the governmnet's direct involvement in certain sectors which the private sector will not invest in or is unable to do so due to insufficient funding or capital problem. Government's direct involvement through an empowered corporation can enhance national socio-economic development, and enables administrative machinery to act more flexibly or independently of the limits or ceilings set by government administrative regulations. This enables a government corporation to move faster in tandem with the private sector.
Nevertheless, a statutory body is bound by government policies (www.jpa.gov.my), underpinned by the respective legislation of Parliament or State Assemblies, by which it was established. A statutory body also has a Board of Directors appointed by a Minister or Chief Minister responsible for the body. Hence, the Board of Directors responsible will report to the Minister or Chief Minister who appointed them. Indirectly, the actions of the members of the Board of Directors are aligned to the will of the government. In Negeri Sembilan, Islamic religious affairs are under the jurisdiction of the Sultan and managed by statutory bodies representing His Highness. The statutory body functions to streamline administration of Islamic religious affairs through formulating related policies which are executed by agencies under it (Hasnan 2006). A statutory body also has autonomous power and its own financial provision. However, it is still subject to Treasury directives and other government rulings or decisions.
According to Siddiqi (1989), specific laws for the Muslim society enable Islamic practice and lifestyle to be implemented, particularly, in stimulating and developing the Islamic socio-economy. Further, Juraish (2009) stated the importance of incorporation of Baitulmal as a firm legal entity, with perpertual existence and its own locus standi (legal standing). This is because right to legal action is necessary to enable the Baitulmal to operate more efficiently, independently and promptly in litigation for matters of revenue collection in Negeri Sembilan. Islamic The Baitulmal Corporation of Negeri Sembilan (hereafter referred to as the Corporation) was established through the 2015 Enacment passed by the Negri Sembilan State Assembly in order to strengthen administration of Islamic affairs in the state (Mohamad 2016). The purpose of incorporating Baitulmal is to enable overcoming various management problems of MAINS, at once rendering prompt and efficient service to the public. However, staffing constitutes one of the contraints faced MAINS. Hence one of the initatives of the incorporation is to ensure that appointments to positions created can be done as professionally as possible. In addition, the establishment of the Corporation will create an organised and systematic administrative management. The Corporation has been fully operating since 1 st of May 2019 (Mohamed 2019) and requires its staff to focus on driving the organization in an organized and planned manner. Therefore, clear and structured strategic planning is essential to the Corporation in order to successfully drive implementation of Islamic tenets, especially relating to Islamic economic resources in Negeri Sembilan.
Hence, the establishment and organizational structuring of the Corportation becomes a topic for research. The researcher will examine, whether or the Corporation can be a successful model for other State Islamic Religious Councils to adopt toward driving the Baitulmal to a higher level of competence in managing Islamic affairs in the respective States.

Methodology:-
The research methodology is qualitative, using review of primary and secondary sources of reference. Primary sources consist of files containing the corporate profile of the Corporation, text of speeches by the Chairman of MAINS and its administrative files. Secondary sources consist of books, reports, journals and websites that refer to the research topic.
In the process of literature search related to the research topic, most of the work was done physically or manually such as obtaining information at MAINS and the Corporation. Part of the literature review was not more than of a relevant report done or spoken by previous figures or personalities, The review was merely a descriptive list of materials published or a compendium of past research. The literature review finds that some of the materials did not use certain basic theories or perspectives. Thus, the differing views and research findings led the researcher to analyse u without using a specific theory in order to form a summary appropriate to the topic of writing. This structuring has the effect of reducing overlapping of tasks and overall financial cost. In addition, it enables full utilisation of human resource from various educational backgrounds and experience in executing their respective tasks (BAIT-NS 100-24/5). Therefore, the organizational structure of the Corporation needs to take into account all the main task areas outlined by the 2015 Enactment. In addition, the re-structuring of the previous organization encompasses the Pusat Zakat (Zakat Centre), Pusat Kaunseling (Counseling Centre), Perbadanan Wakaf (Waqaf Corporation) of Negeri Sembilan and Baitulmal institution which runs the administration and management under MAINS (BAIT-NS 100-24/5).

Re-Structuring of Previous Organization:-
The Working Paper on Structuring of Baitulmal Corporation of Negeri Sembilan (Kertas Kerja Penstrukturan Baitulmal Negeri Sembilan) (2018) states that the philosophy for incorporation of the Baitulmal is so that this organization, entrusted to uphold the eminence of Islam will put it in its rightful place based on Islamic text and ensure the well-being of every strata of society, cutting across religious and racial diversity in Negeri Sembilan. The objective of establishing the Corporation is to ensure that it has the high potential and competency to provide efficient service and most of all to fulfill the needs of the Muslim society.
With this determined objective, the goal of incorporation outlines some initiatives, to support perfecting the establishment of the Corporation, in the Working Paper for Structuring the Baitulmal Corporation of Negeri Sembilan (2018) as follows: 1. To focus on formulation of policy, strategy and implementation of relevant programs and constantly fulfill the current requirements of the environment. 2. To strengthen its role as a service provider to all clients with structured monitoring. Further, departmentalization aimed at division of work task according to the role of respective departments, by standardising the structure of all core functions within the corporate organization. The core functions of the Corporation relate to Zakat, Wakaf, General Sources and Counseling Centre, specifically for Muslims, and generally for the public in Malaysia. Services for General Sources include collection of fidyah, luqatah (lost and found) property and some other categories of property including inheritance property and faraid (distribution of inheritance) (BAIT-NS 100-24/5).
As the main services of the Corporation relate to Zakat, Wakaf and General Sources, the organizational structure required departmentalization for these services. In addition, other departments are needed to function as support for the process of availing services under the Corporation. The main departments are as follows (BAIT-NS 100-24/5):

Comparison between Previous and Latest Structures of Baitulmal under MAINS:-
The structural standardization and combination of the Baitumal, agencies and subsidiary companies of MAINS transformed into the Baitulmal Corporation of Negeri Sembilan is as in the following tables:   Tables 1, 2 and 3 above. However, it is found that the structure of an old agency has its function and task absorbed into the Department for Islamic Religious Affairs of Negeri Sembilan (JHEAINS) namely, the Board for Negeri Sembilan Mosques, because there is an existing division in JHEAINS, known as Management of Mosques and Surau Division This is also the case with other divisions such as the Dakwah Division which has its main function of preaching to converts and non-Muslims. Another division is the Family Law Division which comprises of two units, namely Consultation Unit and Family, Social and Community Services Unit. The two units focus on social affairs, counseling ad community services to the society as a whole yang fungsi utamanya adalah dakwah kepada muallaf dan orang bukan Islam (Buletin JHEAINS 2016).
Therefore, the old agencies of MAINS such as Counseling Centre and As-Saadah Complex fulfill the same functions as divisions in JHEAINS as stated above. They are not absorbed into the Corporation. This duplication or overlapping of work scope does not seem to be in line with the goal and philosophy of establshing the Corporation.

Conclusion:-
The creation of the Corporation and re-structuring of agencies under MAINS are important steps in the implementation of Islamic principles, particularly in the field of Islamic economics in Negeri Sembilan. It is also important to separate the role of MAINS as a policy-making institution for Islamic affairs from the function of keeping the wealth of Muslims through the role of Baitulmal Corporation as a policy-executing agency. Hence, a clear understanding and acceptance of facts on the philosophy of incorporation and restructuring of old agencies is essential to actualize the main objective, namely, to enhance the eminence of Islam, with full responsibility and dedication, particularly relating to the Muslim socio-economy, through professional and competent administration.