Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin, who is more popularly known as Dr Maza, said it is not necessary to ask whether BR1M is halal (permissible) or haram (forbidden).
He added that the public should be clear on the meaning of corruption, “which means giving something in the form of money or item by an individual to another as inducement to serve the interest of the giver”.
“With regard to BR1M, the giving party does not state that it wants to be rewarded or reciprocated by the recipients and had instead announced it as a form of aid.
“In fact the aid is given specifically to lessen the burden of the recipients, hence the (BR1M) concept is not corruption,” he said when replying to a question from someone in the audience at a weekly lecture held at the Alwi Mosque, here, yesterday.
Elaborating on the rule of halal or haram on the giving of BR1M by the government, Asri said likewise, it would not be proper for the recipient of a contribution from another individual to ask about the source of the money.
“For example, a trader asking the buyer from where he got the money to pay for the product sold to him and whether the money is halal or haram.”
He said as recipients, people could accept money from others whether through a sale-purchase transaction, as aid or alms without asking for the source of the money given.
Asri also cited Prophet Muhammad as having received monetary contribution from a Jewish leader and the Prophet did not ask from where the money came from.