KEDAH, September 27 — CIMB Islamic Bank Berhad has bolstered its support for asnaf farmers in Kedah by contributing a paddy harvester machine worth RM298,000 to the Lembaga Zakat Negeri Kedah (LZNK) under the Smart Sawah Berskala Besar Asnaf (SBBA) programme. The initiative, funded through CIMB Islamic’s Zakat Wakalah Fund, aims to enhance the efficiency of paddy farming, cut production costs, and address food security challenges in Malaysia. This new machinery will save each asnaf farmer up to RM5,600 yearly per hectare and lower the cost of renting agricultural equipment.
At the handover ceremony, Ahmad Shahriman Mohd Shariff, CEO of CIMB Islamic, expressed pride in supporting the asnaf community through this collaboration, highlighting the Bank’s commitment to value-based intermediation principles. LZNK CEO Dato’ Syeikh Zakaria Othman also noted the long-term positive impact on local farmers, as the programme aims to improve the socio-economic status of the asnaf group while ensuring food security in the state. Since 2021, the SBBA programme has cultivated over 201.7 hectares of paddy fields across four districts in Kedah.
