Waqf Management Practices: Case Study in a Malaysian Waqf Institution

Abstract

There has been an increased public interest in waqf institution transparency and accountability. The public has continued to demand the best standard of services and greater transparency from waqf institutions. Recent cases of frauds and financial manipulations by the management of faith-based institutions in Malaysia have led to the demand of more accountability and transparency by the donors and the public. As such, this paper aims to examine in-depth on waqf management practices in waqf institutions in Malaysia. A focus group discussion, which involved three waqf managers and four waqf experts in Malaysia and thematic analysis, was conducted in this study. The paper discusses the findings of the current waqf management practices in Malaysia specifically on waqf governance, waqf application, waqf monitoring and waqf reporting practices. Based on the findings, several recommendations are made on how best practices in waqf management can be adopted in the future.

JEL Classification: H83, I30, M41, M48, M49