ANALYSIS OF ZAKAT MANAGEMENT IN BRUNEI DARUSSALAM

The main objective of this paper is to analyze the management of zakat funds in Brunei Darussalam. More specifi cally, it aims at investigating how zakat funds recipients perceive the quality of the current zakat management with special att ention to the aspect of zakat funds disbursement. It also aims to examine how effi cient Brunei’s zakat administration is, particularly the distribution aspect. This paper is explanatory and descriptive in nature and uses both secondary and primary data to examine the trends of zakat collection and distribution. The fi ndings in this paper show that zakat management in Brunei Darussalam is progressing to achieve the main objectives of zakat system. The paper also provides some useful policy implications to improve the management of zakat funds and how policy-makers can respond to the challenges positively as well as to develop and support zakat institutions in Brunei Darussalam to be more effi cient and reliable in the collection and distribution of zakat funds. Keyword: Zakat management, Islamic fi nance, zakat recipients, Brunei Darussalam.


Introduction
Zakat is one of the fi ve pillars of Islam, having important socioeconomic implications, and has to be administered by the state. Zakat is a yearly premium on all forms of accumulated productive wealth as well as a variety of agricultural products, calculated at various rates according to the nature of the wealth or product to be paid to the needy individuals of the Muslim community for their rehabilitation. The Islamic renaissance in the present world has led to its institutionalized administration in some Muslim countries, such as Brunei, Malaysia, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait (Kahf, 1997;Sadeq, 1994).
Zakat is an obligatory religious duty on Muslims to achieve divinely prescribed socioeconomic objectives. It is a self-help measure adopted with full religious backing to support those poor and destitute who are unable to help themselves to alleviate misery and poverty in Muslim society (Chapra, 1992). Muslims in diff erent countries, realizing the pivotal role of the zakat system, embarked on ways to resuscitate the zakat institution. Two systems of zakat management commonly exist in the Muslim world: compulsory and voluntary systems. Compulsory zakat system is mostly managed by governments, while voluntary zakat system has multiple models. The common models are the neighborhood or committ ee-based model, nongovernmental organization-based model, semi-government-based model, and government-based model (Abioye, 2008).
The management of zakat in Brunei Darussalam is governed by the Islamic Religious Council of Brunei Darussalam (MUIB) under the Ministry of Religious Aff airs (MORA). MUIB is given the authority by the laws of Brunei to collect and distribute the zakat funds 1 . This role conforms to Islamic law in obligating the state to exercise zakat as a vital instrument to fulfi ll basic needs in Muslim society as well as an instrument of fi scal policy. MUIB has provided social security for the poor and the needy in society throughout the last two decades (Abdullah, 2010a).
Brunei Darussalam is a small and oil-rich country. It is located on the northern coast of Borneo Island, surrounded by the two eastern provinces of Malaysia and the South China Sea on the north. Brunei's population is approaching 400,000. Around 70% of the population is Muslim. Brunei is a constitutional sultanate, and the sultan wields broad powers under a state of emergency that has been in eff ect since 1962. It runs under the political philosophy of the Malay Islamic Monarchy. Brunei's economy is heavily reliant upon exporting crude oil and natural gas. Revenues from these sectors account for half of GDP, around 90% of exports, and 80% of government revenue. Therefore, Brunei is the fourth-largest oil producer in Southeast Asia, averaging about 175,000 barrels a day. It also is the ninth-largest exporter of liquefi ed natural gas in the world. Much of the country's wealth is controlled by the strong central government. The Brunei Investment Authority General Reserve Fund has an estimated USD30 billion in assets (Oxford Business Group, 2011).

Regulations and the Act of Zakat in Brunei
Several steps have been implemented to improve the management of zakat in Brunei Darussalam since the establishment of Baitul Mal as a governmental unit responsible for zakat collection and distribution. However, after 1 st November 1999, the name of Baitul Mal was changed to the Department of Zakat Collection and Distribution (DZCD) with approval from a monthly ministerial meeting (MBK -9/1999, held on 19 th October 1999). The department is divided into many sections, one of them called the Section of Collection and Distribution. This section is divided into fi ve units: a unit of administration and distribution of zakat, unit of collection, unit of application/investigation/observation, unit of secretariat meeting, and unit of housing.
Offi ces of the zakat collection and distribution department operate in all four districts of Brunei. In addition, the department is responsible for the overall activities of the collection and distribution of zakat funds and is also accountable not only in the matt er of zakat but some other tasks such as registration for Mualaf and activities of Baitul Mal and Waqaf (Islamic Religious Council of Brunei, 2010).
The main objectives of the zakat system can be explained as follows: (1) It is an act of purifying of one's soul, enabling one to come closer to Allah (SWT). As an act to protect the poor and needy from any fi nancial and material problems, it benefi ts not only the poor but also the rich because their assistance will be rewarded by Allah (SWT) in the hereafter for their act of obedience to Allah (SWT).
It plays an important role in the progress of the spiritual aspect, the economy, and technology in society.
Zakat functions as a means of eradicating poverty in society, and it also simultaneously motivates individuals in becoming responsible and caring people. It ensures ideal and sustainable social security for the poor, needy, old, disabled, and other unfortunate individuals in society.
The Islamic institution of zakat creates creative individuals who are non-materialistic, self-suffi cient, and always grateful for the bounties of Allah (SWT).
The main objective of this paper is to analyze zakat management in Brunei Darussalam and how zakat recipients perceive the quality of the current zakat management, especially in relation to disbursement.
It also examines zakat disbursement's eff ects on the recipients' social and fi nancial status. This paper may shed some light on the possible responses that address the main issues, including the distribution and investment of zakat funds.
The rest of the paper is organized as follows. Section 2 provides a brief perspective on fundamentals of zakat in Islam, while section 3 describes the data and method. Section 4 presents results and discussion. Section 5 off ers some policy implications followed by a conclusion in section 6.

Fundamentals of Zakat in Islam Main Objective of the Zakat System
In the early Islamic period, the institution of zakat was strong, and the poor and the needy were helped through this institution. The Holy Prophet (PBUH) had predicted that there would be such an abundance of wealth in the Muslim community that the class of persons who deserve zakat and charity would be entirely eliminated. This prediction came true. The Muslims had so much wealth that there was none to deserve zakat. However, this happened at a time when Muslims had an honest government, a just ruler, and the right system. Unlike other economic systems, from its inception, Islam had to fi nd a reliable solution to all sorts of social problems, including poverty and social injustice. To achieve this objective, Islam's main emphasis is to guarantee the steady provision of basic human needs (food, shelter, clothing, and other prerequisites) at levels that seem to be suffi cient to preserve human dignity, achieving the objectives of socioeconomic development on the basis that poverty and hunger are the key to atheism (al-Hashimi, 2007;Awad, 1998).
Based on need and time factors, Islam diff erentiates between two types of needy groups: the poor, Fakir, and the destitute, Miskin. The former is defi ned as any person who, using his own resources, cannot maintain himself at the suffi ciency level for a period of one year. The latt er refers to those who are unable to secure their needs (in terms of food) for one day. Such a diff erence yields a very wide range of people who could be classifi ed as poor. Both types are entitled to zakat.
Poverty in Islam is not a matt er of the inability to satisfy basic needs for human survival at a point in time, as some scholars allege; rather, it is a matt er of the inability to satisfy these needs through a sustainable process for a long period of time, almost a year. Thus, sustainability in meeting basic human needs is a key element and point of departure to distinguish the poor from the non-poor (Abdullah, 2010a). Islam views poverty as a social problem that must be eradicated. This is clearly envisioned in almost all of the Qur'an verses related to poverty and the poor (Al-Qaradawi, 1997;Sahl, 1997). From the Islamic perspective, assisting the poor is not considered solely charity; rather, it is an act of justice. This is because the poor are entitled to a share of the rich's wealth by virtue of being co-owners of the natural resources from which their wealth is derived. The Qur'an cited that severe chastisement will be infl icted on those rich who do not help the poor and worse will be the fate of those rich who acquire money from the helpless, the poor, and the orphaned through illegal means. Thus, zakat has been imposed on wealth and income as a legitimate right of the poor to the wealth of the rich (Chaudry, 1999). In this respect, the Islamic economic system neither negates the legitimacy of acquiring wealth as communism does, nor seeks to help the poor through the organization of mutual support schemes as socialism does. It merely retrieves for the poor their appropriate share of the wealth acquired by the rich. Transfers from the rich to the poor could be conceived as a mechanism by which poverty can be eradicated and a minimum standard of living can be att ained by every member of society. Islam att ributes the prevalence of poverty to man's deviation from divine religion and to corruption in the economic system. This view contrasts with that of capitalism, where both poverty and wealth are regarded as a direct product of human eff orts, so the poor are responsible for the creation of their own poverty (Hassan, 2010;Sadeq, 1994;Zayas, 2003).

Addressing the Poverty Problem
Furthermore, from the Islamic economic perspective, the consequences are many, and a few can be cited as follows: (1) Poverty has a direct consequence on human faith in God where wealth and resources tend to be concentrated in a few hands while the many suff er from deprivation. Unless wealth and resources are equally distributed among people, poverty will lead eventually to atheism. Thus, deviation from divine religion originates from poverty that results from the misdistribution of wealth and resources.
(2) Poverty also has a direct eff ect on human ethics and behavior, tending to force those who fall into deprivation and destitution to engage in unlawful behavior such as robbery. Deprivation may also lead to suspicion of ethical and religious values.
Poverty may endanger human thought. In other words, the poor, who are unable to meet their basic needs, cannot think well.
Poverty may have a direct impact on family structure, persistence, and cohesion. Within the family structure, poverty can be regarded as a main obstacle in a marriage. Poverty may also lead to the destruction of family ties, e.g., through divorce.
Poverty may endanger the social fabric and social security and stability.
The spread of poverty in Muslim nations will threaten their unity, integrity, freedom, and sovereignty because the poor and destitute will have no enthusiasm to defend their country if wealth and resources are not distributed equally among all the citizens. To correct this situation and to narrow the growing income gap between the rich and the poor, zakat has been used as an ideal eradication mechanism. This objective could be achieved by redistributing income in favor of the poor as well as by utilizing it in the employment of idle manpower through either lending or direct investment. The poor and destitute are the fi rst two of the eight categories designated in Islam as eligible for zakat funds (Hassan, 2010).
There are eight categories or groups of benefi ciaries who qualify to receive zakat. In other words, zakat can be distributed only to people in any of the eight eligible categories indicated in the Qur'an. These eight types of eligible benefi ciaries comprise what are known as Asnaf, which are ranked according to their eligibility as follows: the poor, the destitute, zakat collectors or those employed to administer the funds, the appeased (non-Muslim inclined to enter or has already converted to Islam), slaves (captives), debtors, those in the cause of God, and the wayfarers or travelers who are stranded in a foreign land (Surat at-Tawbah: Chapter 9; Verse 60). The fi rst two categories are the needy, while the remaining six are not necessarily poor but are still entitled to zakat. The distribution of zakat funds should be based on the needs of all the groups. In some cases, the transfer of allocated zakat funds from one category to another can be allowed according to priorities and the degree of vulnerability. This refl ects the fl exibility of the zakat system regarding its predetermined Asnaf. Zakat cannot be regarded as a distribution mechanism alone, as some scholars argue; it also has an income-generating and, hence, a development rationale. This is mainly the economic wisdom behind the zakat: to prohibit and thus mobilize hoarding, leading in turn to more investment and further income generation and development. The poor are given not only what satisfi es their basic needs but also capital to produce and earn income (Kahf, 1990;Sahl, 1997).
The obligatory nature of annual zakat payments and the aforementioned defi nition of the poor are of particular economic signifi cance as follows: (1) It means that the poor are entitled to be given a certain proportion of aggregate income and wealth every year. (2) This proportion is assumed to be suffi cient to meet the poor's requirements for a year.
Under investment opportunities, if the poor are enlightened as to how to invest their zakat proceeds, they may in the following year no longer be in poverty.
It follows from the third that, if a poor person invests successfully, he may turn into a zakat payer rather than a recipient.
Being a zakat payer means a reduction in the number of the poor by some proportion, opening opportunity for new poor people to participate in the process.
The poverty-alleviation eff ects of zakat are reinforced in an Islamic economy by a number of poverty-preventing measures. Chief among these measures is that all natural resources are deemed collectively owned by all members of the communities that control and utilize them; the prohibition of monopolies and restrictive practices is another eff ective poverty-preventing measure through which poverty is combated in an Islamic economy. Being the chief instrument through which the rich exploited the poor, usury was regarded as a chief economic evil that was prohibited and replaced by a host of fi nancial arrangements that benefi t both the funder and the funded. These include Musharakah (profi t-and loss-sharing); Murabahah (forward sale) or Ijar-Tamlik, (renting of goods); and Gard Hassan (forward purchase or free loans) (Billah, 2007).
Islam specifi es the state's responsibility and commitment toward its nationals, including vulnerable groups such as the poor, widows, the disabled, the aged, etc. Every needy person has the right to ask the state to provide him with food, shelter, clothing, etc. However, the level at which these items are to be provided is suffi ciency rather than subsistence, which is emphasized by most prevailing measures of poverty. The modern approach to the zakat institution is a signifi cant economic and social instrument for poverty alleviation and the stability of the Muslim world (Hassan, 2010;Sahl, 1997).

Methodology and Data Sources
This paper is explanatory and descriptive in nature and uses both secondary and primary data to examine the trends of zakat collection and distribution. The research has obtained primary data on zakat through survey questionnaires distributed to zakat recipients based on a sample size of 50. With this small sample size, the present paper can still contribute signifi cantly to the existing zakat studies, at least at an exploratory level. Non-probability convenience sampling has been used to collect data from zakat fund recipients in Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital city of Brunei Darussalam. The questionnaire forms were distributed in May 2011. The purpose of the questionnaire is to look at the perspective of the zakat recipients. The questionnaire consists of fi ve sets of questions, including the respondents' demographic characteristics, view on the early stage of applying for zakat, view after receiving zakat funds, view on the Empowerment Zakat Recipients Program (EZRP), and view on the objective of zakat distribution. A fi ve-point Likert scale ranging from "strongly agree" to "strongly disagree" was used to measure 10 items of the respondents' feedback after receiving zakat funds. A reliability test was performed and showed that Cronbach's alpha was 0.80, which indicates a suffi cient level of reliability. The secondary data was obtained from MUIB statistics on zakat collection and distribution from 2001 to 2009.
All fi gures in this paper are in current Brunei Darussalam dollar (BND$) including data on zakat funds 2 . The sources of zakat funds as practiced in Brunei are divided into two types: Zakat Fitrah and Zakat on wealth. The detailed information for each is as follows: (a) Zakat Fitrah Zakat Fitrah is also known as zakat on the person, zakat of Ramadan, or Zakat Fitrah. Zakat Fitrah was obliged in the second year of the Islamic Calendar (Hijrah), the same year that fasting in Ramadan was made obligatory. Zakat Fitrah is prescribed as a means of purifi cation for the person who fasts, redressing wrong deeds and undesirable words utt ered during fasting. It also serves as aid to the needy.
(b) Zakat on Wealth There are six types zakat for wealth: zakat for income and salary, zakat for business, zakat for savings, zakat for stocks, zakat for gold and silver, which includes currencies and bank-notes, and zakat for agriculture and poultry (Islamic Religious Council of Brunei, 2010).

Respondents' Demographic Characteristics and Views
As shown in Table 1, the highest percentage for gender is female, accounting for 74% of the respondents, while males accounted for 26%. In regard to age, the highest age group is 40-49 years old, accounting for 30% of the respondents, followed by those between the age of 30 and 39 and those who are over 50 years old with a percentage of 26%, while the age group of 20-29 years accounted for 18%. The majority of the respondents' age is between 30 and 49 years old. Almost all of the respondents are from the Malay ethnic group, accounting for 92%, followed by Chinese at 6%, and others (the Iban ethnic group) at 2%. This indicates that the respondents are dominated by Malay. The highest percentage for education level have a secondary school education at 54%, followed by those with no education, including those with an education level at primary 3 and below accounting for 36% and those with a primary education level at 10%. In regard to employment, the highest percentage, 74% of the respondents, are unemployed, followed by those who work in the private sector at 18%. The remaining 8% work in the government sector. This indicates the highest percentage of respondents is unemployed. A majority of the respondents are married (54%), followed by 26% who are divorced, while the remaining 20% are widowed. Hence, the results show that the highest percentage of the respondents is married.
In regard to family size, the highest percentage of respondents has three to fi ve dependents (50%), followed by those with one to two dependents (32%). Around 10% of the respondents have six to seven dependents, and 8% have more than seven dependents. This shows that the majority of the respondents have between one and fi ve children. In regard to the respondents' view on the application process, as shown in Table 2, in six categories (Asnaf) of those are eligible to receive zakat, the highest percentage is from Fakir and Miskin (78%), followed by Gharimin (14%). The remaining are from Muallaf (8%).
These results indicate that the highest frequency occurs for Fakir and Miskin. A majority of the respondents, 52%, said that it took about four to 12 months for their application to be answered, followed by 36% who indicated more than a year, and the remaining 12% said it took about one to three months. This indicated that a majority of the respondents waited about four months or more for their applications to be accepted. In regard to the type of assistance received by the respondents, basic needs accounted for 36% of the recipients, followed by education at 24%, emergency at 20%, Gharimin at 12%, and the remaining 8% from Muallaf. This indicates that the highest frequency occurs for spending on basic needs such as food, clothing, housing needs, showing the importance of zakat in meeting these needs. As shown in Table 3, around 46% of the recipients said that their monthly expenses are between BND$300 and BND$499, followed by 30% of the respondents who said that their monthly expenses are from BND$500 to BND$1000. The remaining 24% of the respondents spend BND$100 to BND$299 for monthly expenses. These results show that the majority of the respondents are spending about BND$300 to BND$499 monthly. A majority of the recipients, 66%, responded that the zakat funds they receive are enough to meet their monthly expenditures. However, 34% of the recipients said that the zakat funds received are insuffi cient to cover their expenses. This illustrates that the highest percentage of respondents agree that the zakat funds are suffi cient to cover their monthly expenses. Around 34% of the respondents confi rmed that the zakat funds are insuffi cient to cover their monthly expenses. A majority of the respondents (82%) said that they need around BND$300 to BND$800 to pay their monthly expenses. The remaining 18% of the respondents need around BND$1000. These results confi rm that the amount of funding needed is not less than BND$500 to cover the recipients' monthly expenses.  Table 4 shows that, due to lack of awareness of the Empowerment Zakat Recipients Program (EZRP), the absolute majority did not join this program and obviously had not heard about it. Only around 6% of the respondents joined EZRP, while the majority of the respondents joined the program within one year. In regard to the respondents' feedback after receiving zakat funds, as shown in Table 5, 64% of the respondents agreed that the process of applying for zakat is short and simple, 12% of the 50 respondents disagreed, 10% strongly agreed, 8% strongly disagreed, and 6% said that they neither agreed nor disagreed. This shows that the majority of the respondents agreed that the process of applying for zakat is short and simple. Table 5 also shows that the highest percentage, 44%, agreed that zakat funds help to improve their children's education level. The second-highest percentage, 30%, strongly agreed, the thirdhighest percentage, 16%, disagreed, and 10% neither agreed nor disagreed. These results show that the majority of the respondents agreed that zakat helps to improve their children's education level. 68% agreed that zakat funds help them to acquire their basic necessities, 22% agreed, 6% neither agreed nor disagreed, and the remaining 4% said that they disagreed that zakat funds help them to meet their basic needs. They said that nothing has improved since they began receiving help from zakat funds.
Around 66% of the respondents strongly agreed and 14% of them agreed that zakat funds assist them in paying their debts, whereas 14% said it does not help them to pay their debts, and 6% said that they neither agreed nor disagreed. Table 5 shows that the highest percentage of the respondents agreed that zakat funds help them to pay their debts. 60% agreed and 24% strongly agreed that their standard of living improved after they received zakat funds. On the other hand, 10% disagreed, and 6% neither agreed nor disagreed. This shows that the highest percentage of respondents agreed that zakat funds help to improve their standard of living. The results show that the highest percentage, 36% of the respondents, agreed that zakat funds contribute money to build their homes. The second-highest percentage of the respondents, 30%, disagreed, followed by 20% who neither agreed nor disagreed, and 4% represented those who strongly disagreed. This proves that the majority of the respondents agreed that the zakat funds contribute money to build their homes.
Virtually 62% of the respondents agreed and 20% strongly agreed that zakat funds help to ease their burden. On the other hand, 8% neither agreed nor disagreed, 6% disagreed, and 4% strongly disagreed. This indicates that the majority of the respondents agreed that zakat funds help to ease their burden. Nearly 72% of the respondents agreed and 16% strongly agreed that their income increased after receiving zakat funds. However, 10% disagreed, and 2% neither agreed nor disagreed. This indicates that the majority of the respondents agreed that their income increased after receiving zakat funds. Almost 72% of the respondents agreed and 16% strongly agreed that their income increased after receiving zakat funds. However, 10% of the respondents disagreed, and 2% neither agreed nor disagreed.
Nearly 76% of the respondents agreed and 18% strongly agreed that life became easier with the help of zakat. On the other hand, 4% disagreed, and 6% neither agreed nor disagreed. This indicates that the majority of the respondents agreed that life became easier with the help of zakat. About 32% of the respondents disagreed that zakat funds help to pay for their family members' medical expenses, 28% agreed, 22% neither agreed nor disagreed, and the remaining 18% said that they strongly agreed that zakat funds help to pay for their family members' medical expenses. This shows that the majority of the respondents disagreed that zakat funds help to pay for medical expenses. The reason is that the recipients usually go to government hospitals or clinics if they do not feel well, and the cost is only one dollar, so it does not matt er whether zakat helps or not because they still manage to pay for medical expenses.

Analysis of Zakat Collection and Distribution
As shown in Table 6 The decrease in zakat collection also has a connection to the economic downturn, which has aff ected the profi ts of businesses. The lower the businesses' profi t is, the less zakat will be paid to zakat collectors. On the other hand, for zakat payers on Zakat Fitrah, there is no problem. Since people are aware of the importance of paying Zakat Fitrah, a majority of zakat payers will pay Zakat Fitrah during the fasting month (Ramadan). As shown in Table 7, the number of zakat Fitrah payers increased gradually from 2001 to 2009.

Eligible Categories to Receive Zakat Funds in Brunei
There are six Asnaf or categories of people who are eligible to receive zakat funds in Brunei Darussalam 3 . These categories are as follows: (1) The poor: The poor are unable to earn a living, their source of income is from non-Halal activities, they do not have wealth, or they have some but it is not enough, and they do not have an income or not enough to support their dependents (Rahman, 2003).
The needy: The needy are those who have only a litt le income or wealth that can cover only half or more but not all of the family members' basic needs. They also include those who are able to work and their sources of income are not from permissible or Halal activities, or they have wealth and income, but it is not enough to support their dependent (Rani, 2008 (Pusat Da'wah Islamiah, 1999;Baki, 2007).
(5) Gharimin: The Gharimin group is normally those who have gone into debt on building projects for the public such as the construction of mosques or schools, and recently, MUIB has considered including those who are in debt for basic necessities such as the purchase of government houses. (6) Ibn al-Sabil: These are people who are travelling for purposes that are not against Shari'ah and in need of help due to not having enough money available at a given time.

The Process of Applying for Zakat
First, to apply for zakat, the applicants must fi rst get a form from the Section of Zakat Collection and Distribution. Then, after the applicants fi ll out the form, they must present the form to the head of the village to get it stamped. The head of the village will write a statement to verify whether or not the applicants are eligible for zakat funds. After that, the recipients will give the forms to the Section of Zakat Collection and Distribution. Next, an application/investigation/observation unit will gather and organize the forms into three categories: new, renewal, and appeal applications. After that, the staff will investigate the applicants to see whether they are really eligible to receive zakat funds or not. After the investigation, the staff will write a report about the applicants they have visited. Next, the staff will type the reports nicely and present them to the Ahli Jawatankuasa Meneliti (Committ ee of Analyzing). If this committ ee confi rms that the applicants are eligible, they will send the forms and the reports to Jawatankuasa Mengeluarkan Zakat (Committ ee of Zakat Distribution) for meetings and confi rmation. According to MUIB practices, one case will take about 40 days. However, sometimes, due to a lack of evidence and information in a report, the Ahli Jawatankuasa Meneliti (Committ ee of Investigation) will have to ask the staff to go for a second visit, which will cause a case to take about three months to complete (Abdullah, 2010b).
Before 2009, all applications were handled case by case. Each case was put into a fi le for further action. As a result, the management in previous years was quite slow and ineffi cient. However, after 2009, the management changed the way they handled cases. They put the cases into diff erent groups as shown in Tables 10, 11, 12 and 13. The groups are allocated by timeframe. These groups are divided into two categories: Fakir and Miskin. The funds to be distributed vary between these two groups. There were four groups from October 2009 to September 2010.

Distinction between Fakir and Miskin
In Brunei, the average monthly expenses per person total BND$253. Thus, referring to MUIB guidelines, the total monthly expenses for Bruneian family, on average, is BND$1518. In this case, the father's (head of family) designated monthly income is BND$1,000. However, if the head of a family's monthly income is just BND$400, this family would fall under the needy group because his wealth can cover only 50% or less than half of the designated family head's monthly income.
If the family falls into the Fakir category, the head of the family will receive BND$10,000, and the dependents will receive BND$5,000 each. If the family is considered poor (Miskin), this Asnaf would be put in category B, Miskin; the head of the family would receive BND$2,000 and the dependents would receive BND$5,000 each (Islamic Religious Council of Brunei, 2010; Abdullah, 2010b) 4 .   (Table 9). This shows that the amount of zakat increased is clearly not due to the number of zakat recipients.
According to MUIB guidelines before 2009, the amount distributed to   Head of family will receive BND$20,000; dependents will receive BND$10,000 each for a period of 5 years or 60 months.

Table 11
Zakat (1 year) Head of family will receive BND$3,000; dependents will receive BND$2,000 each for a period of 1 year (12 months).

Table 12
Zakat Distribution to Recipients of Fakir and Miskin for Group 3  Head of family will receive BND$10,000; dependents will receive BND$5,000 each for a period of 2.5 years (30 months).
May 2010 -Aug. 2011 (1 year) Head of family will receive BND$2,000; dependents will receive BND$1,200 each for a period of 1 year (12 months).

Diffi culties and Problems
The present investigation identifi ed some diffi culties and problems faced by the Department of Zakat Collection and Distribution (DZCD) that involve the process of receiving the applications, investigating the applicants, and making the necessary recommendations for submission to the higher committ ee for their approval and subsequent disbursement of the zakat funds. The problems are: (1) The diffi culties in processing the applications, as the staff members of DZCD are multi-tasking, doing several jobs at a time.
A huge number of applications, which has resulted in the accumulation of more than 1,000 applications since 2006.
DZCD offi cers are not assigned to specifi c areas, causing a lack of a sense of responsibility among the staff to make sure that their clients are progressing.
In February 2009, a new initiative was introduced to speed up the application process. The tasks given to the staff members were reduced so that they can be more focused. However, the same procedures still applied. The chief offi cer of DZCD said that, although they were speeding up the process, the number of new applications received was higher than the actual number of applicants being visited by MUIB offi cers.
Moreover, MUIB is now fully equipped with a computerized zakat collection system. The system will allow direct communication between Amil (including banks) and MUIB's district offi ces with the main offi ce. Using only the applicants' identity card number, the staff can fi nd the information in the system. The use of the computerized zakat collection system will enable the involvement of a wider range of the community and is expected to be more secure and to provide an improved monitoring mechanism. It was very important to speed up the processing time and to organize the many application forms into three categories: new, renewal, and appeal. In addition, this has made them more effi cient now in terms of the distribution and receipt of zakat applications.  (Azaraimy, 2009).
The Empowerment Zakat Recipients Program (EZRP) was launched on 5th November 2007. The program is a joint eff ort by the Islamic Religious Council of the Ministry of Religious Aff airs and the Youth Development Centre. The objective of the program is to provide training for the poor and needy to get skills and have the opportunity to get jobs at government offi ces or start their own businesses. They will be assisted to start a business and to get capital from the zakat funds. Divided into two sessions, the participants att end class-based lessons for three months before undergoing practical training at government departments and companies (Islamic Religious Council of Brunei, 2010).
The participants should be from the poor and needy Asnaf groups and must be willing to develop and improve their standard of living. The training is a three-month program plus six months of work att achment. The participants are off ered skills in using computers and offi ce administration, baking cakes and pastries, cooking and catering, salon and hairdressing, car repair and welding, and basic sewing and embroidery. The facilities provided are transportation, an allowance for stationery, uniforms, training equipment, a refreshment allowance, and a pocket money allowance. About BND$2 million has been allocated for this program to cover a fi ve-year period from 2008 through 2012 (Islamic Religious Council of Brunei, 2010).
The responses from the participants were not encouraging, as only 18 participants registered out of 102 candidates who were approached to join the program. It is important to note that this program is separate from the capital assistance scheme handled by MUIB (Abdullah, 2010a).
Based on this discussion, the objectives of the zakat institution in Brunei can be reorganized and restructured as follows: (1) In addition to the collection and disbursement of zakat, the zakat institution intends to formulate a database of zakat rituals and to reinforce the spirit of cooperation among the zakat payers and recipients; The government has to carry out the function of the collection of zakat from both individuals and fi rms; (3) The recruiting of qualifi ed zakat collectors should involve a training program in technical and legal skills; (4) Financial and technical assistance should be provided in terms of productive family projects and production means to uplift the poor; and (5) Information should be provided and research conducted for the establishment of a database.
The collection and disbursement of zakat from payers to its entitled Asnaf is carried out throughout the year. The disbursement process of zakat to its entitled benefi ciaries is based entirely upon the function of collecting zakat itself. However, this situation entails the restructuring of the zakat institution as an Islamic entity to pursue the eradication of poverty and realize equity and social solidarity. The main function of the zakat institution is to distribute zakat to the entitled groups mentioned in the Qur'an in terms of money or productive activities. The philosophy behind providing productive projects is to enhance work habits as encouraged by Islam, which, in turn, reduces the number of recipients and eventually increases the number of zakat payers.

Policy Implications
Zakat administration in Brunei is naturally facing some problems in terms of the assessment and collection of zakat. Some policy implications can be presented as follows: (1) In regard to Brunei law, the penalty for not paying zakat has not been enforced. The possible reasons are as follows: (a) There is no proper database of zakat payers, so it is impossible for the MUIB to track Muslims who fail to pay zakat.
The zakat offi ce is small and able to carry out only daily administrative duties.

(c)
The zakat administration is not authorized to carry out investigations, such as checking the accounts and confi dential fi nancial details of zakat payers.

(d)
Consequently, the only thing that the offi cers can do given that no law has been enforced against those who have refused to pay zakat is by generating more awareness among the general public regarding their responsibility as members of the Islamic community to pay their zakat.
(2) Some Muslims, instead of paying zakat to MUIB, would rather pay zakat through unoffi cial or informal channels. A number of possible factors may be involved in this practice: (a) Payers prefer to pay zakat to their close relatives or neighbors who are known to be eligible to receive zakat funds.
There is a lack of publicity and information on the types of zakat that should be paid.

(c)
Payers have a negative perception of the zakat administration's management of zakat funds. They believe that the zakat administration does not effi ciently distribute the zakat funds. To overcome these problems, the zakat administration should educate people and allow other parties to be involved such as universities and the media.
(3) Modern sources of income should be covered and subjected to zakat eff ectively. To enhance effi ciency and reliability in the calculation and distribution of zakat funds, a proper mechanism has to be adopted. Also, such measures have to be implemented to ensure that all those who are eligible to pay zakat are willing to pay and doing so accurately and that the funds reach those who truly deserve it.
(4) There is room for improvement in terms of zakat administration and organization in Brunei. The computerized system has yet to be stabilized so that the use of the database will be more effi cient and reliable. Much data is yet to be entered into the system.

Conclusion
Zakat is an important institution in the economic system of Islam, which is one of the fi ve pillars on which the Islamic code of life is founded. Zakat is an obligation of Muslims to give a specifi c amount of their wealth according to certain conditions and requirements to specifi c categories of benefi ciaries mentioned in Islamic sources. The concept of zakat in Islam refl ects a strong concern with social justice and well-being (Kahf, 1997).
Zakat practice in Brunei varies from that of other Muslim countries in terms of coverage, distribution, and method of collection. In coverage, the zakat administration should cover all types of Zakat al-Mal, which includes all kinds of zakatable wealth including tradable items and fi nancial and monetary assets (Abdullah, 2010b). The institution of zakat in Brunei should have some positive economic implications. Therefore, it is considered an obligatory poverty eradication program that provides a compulsory social security system in society.
The fi ndings prove that zakat management in Brunei is progressing to achieve the objectives of zakat system: providing social security for the poor and the needy in society, developing balanced economic growth, and committ ing an act of spiritual purity and development.
A majority of the zakat recipients' lives become easier in terms of bett er living and bett er education, and the most important thing is that they can acquire their basic necessities including food, shelter, clothes, medicine, and education, which are meant to maintain life and, hence, fulfi ll the objective of zakat as a whole.
Contemporary zakat administration in Brunei must move forward to confi rm that the compulsory implementation of zakat through rules and laws is eff ective and effi cient in reducing inequality in the distribution of income and wealth. Besides its basic religious value, zakat has a social aspect that aims at freeing the community from the blight of poverty. It also has an economic aspect that is aimed to drive the collected funds into circulation. This, in turn, helps to relieve the community of most of its charitable burdens. By its very nature and purpose, the institution of zakat is the most powerful means of translating the Islamic principle of human brotherhood into a living reality. It is for this very reason that the institution of zakat lays special stress on rehabilitation, on promptly restoring the impoverished individual to a condition of self-suffi ciency, thereby enabling him to once more take his place as a productive member of the social group, actively contributing to its prosperity.
This paper outlines the fi ndings from the interview with the offi cers and from analyzing and examining the questionnaires. The fi ndings from both the interview and questionnaires have answered the research questions about the zakat administration in Brunei Darussalam; collection and distribution; and zakat recipients' perception of zakat in their lives.
Based on the analysis fi ndings; the present paper can conclude and identify the following regarding the zakat distribution in Brunei Darussalam: (1) The Unit of Zakat Collection and Distribution gives priority to zakat distribution to the Asnaf Fakir and Miskin (2) There was a decrease in the amount for Amil in 2006 to 2009. It is questionable why this happened since this Amil deserves to get the same share of zakat as the other Asnaf.
The Empowerment Zakat Recipients Program (EZRP) aims to provide training for the poor and needy to get skills and have the opportunity to get jobs. The response from the participants was not encouraging, as only 18 participants registered out of the 102 candidates who were approached to join this programme. It is important to observe that this program is handled separately from the capital assistance scheme. In addition, only three respondents said that they had joined the programme. It is a clear indication that there is a lack of awareness among the public about this program.
Future research should use a large sample to enhance the validity of the current fi ndings. Using a diff erent approach may contribute to bett er understanding of the management of zakat funds and improving the contemporary practices of zakat institution. There is no extreme poverty in Brunei, but to some extent the problem is with relative poverty. Some services such as primary health care and education are provided free by the government. Welfare support is also given to several types of citizens.