The company said in a statement the fund would invest primarily in Greater China-based syariah-compliant equities listed on recognised exchanges in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan as well as other permissible exchanges such as Singapore, Malaysia and the United States.

PFMB chief officer of products and marketing Christopher Chan described this approach as a twin-pronged strategy that would enable investors to benefit from both ends – consumption surge within mainland China as well as potentially more favourable equity valuations of selected companies.

PFMB has also worked with Dow Jones Indices to create the Dow Jones Islamic Market Greater China Index, which will be used as a benchmark for the fund.
From left: Dow Jones AER Co Inc business development director Ariff Sultan, Christopher Chan and Prudential Corp Asia Islamic fund management regional head Mark Toh at the fund launch.

The Dow Jones Islamic Market Greater China Index is part of the unique Dow Jones Islamic Market index series that combines faith-based principles with investing.

PFMB said investors interested in seeking long-term capital appreciation through participation in syariah-compliant China equities would find this fund suitable for their portfolios.

“Correspondingly, these investors would have a high tolerance for risk and have a long-term investment horizon,” it said.

The fund has 100 million units available for subscription up to Nov 15 at RM1 per unit for a minimum investment of RM1,000.

THE Life Insurance Association of Malaysia (LIAM) & National Association of Malaysian Life Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAMLIFA) are organising a nationwide blood donation drive themed ‘Donate Blood – Your Gift of Life’ in conjunction with the 2009 Life Insurance Day (LID) from Oct 26 to Nov 1.

“This blood donation drive is organised in conjunction with Life Insurance Day 2009. The Life Insurance Day is a community service programme that LIAM has organised since 1991,” said Muhamad Umar Swift, organising chairman/LIAM Industry Promotion Committee chairman at a press conference recently.

“This year, LIAM and NAMLIFA are working together on this campaign so that we could reach out to more people and encourage the public to participate in this event,” he added.

Also present at the press conference were LIAM president Md Adnan Md Zain and NAMLIFA president Michael Kok.

The week-long nationwide blood donation drive brings the entire life insurance industry together through their participation.

All life insurance companies under the umbrella of LIAM will be allocated a state each to organise their respective blood donation drive.

Among the member companies participating in this event are Allianz Life Insurance Malaysia Berhad, AmLife Insurance Berhad, American International Assurance Bhd, AXA Affin Life Insurance Berhad, CIMB Aviva Assurance Bhd, Etiqa Insurance Berhad, Great Eastern Life Assurance (Malaysia) Bhd, Hannover Life Re (Malaysian Branch), Hong Leong Assurance Berhad, ING Insurance Bhd, Malaysian Assurance Alliance Berhad, Malaysian Life Reinsurance Group Berhad, Manulife Insurance Berhad, MCIS Zurich Insurance Berhad, Prudential Assurance Malaysia Berhad, TM Asia Life Malaysia Bhd and Uni. Asia Life Assurance Berhad.

The individual insurance companies will also assist in mobilising its staff, agents, policyholders and the public in donating blood at the premises of the respective insurance companies or a public area in the respective states.

Meanwhile, donors in the Klang Valley may visit CIMB Aviva at its head office in Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman (opposite Maju Junction), Kuala Lumpur on Oct 27 to donate blood.

On Oct 28, donors may go to MII City Centre of Maju Junction Mall, Wisma MCIS Zurich, Petaling Jaya, Uni Asia headquarters building, Kuala Lumpur and Jaya Jusco Bukit Tinggi, Klang to donate blood.

The blood donation drive is aimed at fostering teamwork among member companies of LIAM and enhance its engagement within the communities we are a part of.

Life Insurance Day was initiated in 1991 and has been an annual event ever since.

Among the activities held in the previous years were donations in cash and kind to charity homes, hosting activities for orphanages, character building camps for children and etc.

For more information on the blood donation drive, please log on to www.liam.org.my.

By DALJIT DHESI- The Star

PETALING JAYA: Prudential BSN Takaful Bhd (PruBSN) chief operating officer Azim Mithani will soon helm the company as chief executive officer pending Bank Negara approval.

The British-trained actuary is also currently treasurer of the Actuarial Society of Malaysia.

Before assuming his current position, Azim was chief financial officer and appointed actuary of Prudential Assurance Malaysia Bhd (PAMB).

Azim Mithani is a British-traine d actu ary.

A sister company of PAMB established in 2006, PruBSN is a 51:49 joint venture between Bank Simpanan Nasional Bhd and Prudential Holdings Ltd.

Many industry observers hailed PruBSN’s choice of Azim as a right one; as a qualified actuary and risk manager, he would be able to understand and assess risk effectively since risk was an important consideration in determining premiums.

As an actuary, he would be able to further instill and enhance the company’s risk management practices. This is in line with the regulatory changes in the insurance industry that placed greater focus on risk management.

It is learnt that Azim’s predecessor Mohamad Salihuddin Ahmad, who joined PruBSN in 2006, is now with Great Eastern Life Assurance (M) Bhd heading the project management team to secure a takaful licence for the company.

According to sources, Salihuddin was hand-picked by Great Eastern Holdings group chief executive officer Ng Keng Hooi to head its future Islamic insurance operations. He left PruBSN in August.

Talk is rife that Great Eastern Holdings Ltd, the parent of Great Eastern Life Malaysia, is a front runner to clinch one of two takaful licences to be awarded by Bank Negara later this year, in line with the financial services sector liberalisation.

Pelan ini memberikan fokus kepada simpanan jangka panjang.

Ciri-ciri utama pelan ini ialah

1) Memberi bonus setiap 2 tahun bermula dari akhir tahun ke-3 hinggalah tempoh matang sijil (pilihan samada 15 , 21 atau 27 tahun).

2) Apabila sijil matang, anda akan menerima 100% dari jumlah amaun perlindungan beserta bonus terkumpul, keuntungan pelaburan dan perkongsian lebihan (jika ada)

3) Menyediakan perlindungan bagi kematian dan Hilang Upaya Kekal serta menyeluruh (Total Permanent Disability atau TPD).

Manfaat Kehidupan

Merupakan manfaat yang di bayar setiap 2 tahun iaitu sebanyak 6% dari jumlah perlindungan yang anda ambil. Anda boleh menerima manfaat ini dalam bentuk cek atau melaburkannya semula dalam akaun Takaful Cash, Takafulink atau Takafulink Cerdik.

Berdasarkan gambarajah di atas, katakan:

• Anda inginkan simpanan dalam masa 15 tahun sebanyak = RM 100,000. Maka jumlah perlindungan yang perlu di ambil ialah RM100,000

• Setiap 2 tahun bermula dari tahun ke-3, anda akan menerima bonus sebanyak 6% iaitu RM6,000
• Bonus ini boleh di keluarkan atau di masukkan semula ke dalam akaun untuk di laburkan semula.
• Setelah 15 tahun, anda akan menerima RM100,000 + jumlah bonus terkumpul (jika anda tidak mengambilnya sebelum ini).
• Jika di takdirkan berlaku kematian sebelum sijil matang, 100% dari jumlah perlindungan beserta bonus terkumpul akan di bayar kepada peserta.
• Dengan kata lain, jika umur panjang…anda akan mendapat simpanan sepertimana yang anda rancangkan. Jika berlaku kematian pula manfaat waris anda pula yang akan mendapat manfaatnya.

Apa Kelebihannya?

1. Menyediakan Simpanan jangka panjang yang tetap.
2. Berbanding menyimpan di akaun simpanan atau deposit tetap (FD), pelan Takaful Cash menyediakan perlindungan kewangan jika berlaku musibah (kematian atau TPD) sebelum simpanan anda mencapai jumlah yang di inginkan.
3. Menyediakan perlindungan yang lebih tinggi melalui manfaat Takaful Term sehingga RM10 juta.
4. Mempunyai bonus setiap 2 tahun (boleh di keluarkan atau di laburkan semula untuk simpnan yang lebih tinggi).
5. Melayakkan anda menerima pengecualian  cukai sebanyak RM6,000 setahun

Siapakah yang boleh menyertai pelan TakafulCash?

Pelan ini boleh di sertai oleh individu-individu yang berumur di antara 19 hingga 60 tahun. Anda juga boleh mengambil pelan untuk anak bagi tujuan simpanan pendidikan.

Untuk penerangan lebih lanjut, anda boleh hubungi saya pada bila-bila masa di 019-383 1240 untuk penerangan PERCUMA.

Sumber: Shukor

WE are approaching the end of the third quarter for the year 2009 and the economy is slowly but surely making a comeback. The public is, however, still travelling less and spending less.

Everybody out there is clinging hard onto his or her piggy banks and far from splashing money the way they did back in 2006 and 2007. Certainly, less budget for our daily needs and those necessities that are so crucial in our daily life, etc, computers, handphones, and iPods. I thought it might be necessary to mention so just in case you have not left your bedroom in months or have gone to the extent of cutting the Internet broadband so that you can save an extra RM100 to cushion the 10% paycut that you suffered a few months ago. Maybe.

Anyway, let us get to the main point, which is how and where you can save an extra ringgit or so in your next purchase of IT equipment, especially when it comes to software and hardware.

No, I am not talking about going to Chow Kit road and getting that pirated CD for RM5 or so. Robbing your little brother of his new PSP also is not a solution. Let us dissect this issue and see how saving money on software and hardware is much easier than you think.

My favourite topic for hardware would be none other than the PC. When a PC is needed, first, write down clearly the main reason and task that you will be carrying out with this new PC. More often than not, the average person would just need a PC to surf the Internet or just do basic word processing. Well, and the old school Solitaire for those retirees.

Most of the PCs that are on the market today have more power and capacity than is needed to do all this basic work. There may be other secondary functions that you will carry out but rarely.

So, the question is, why pay more for the extra power and amp? Let’s take a basic branded laptop from one of the main manufacturers in Malaysia.

For RM2,000 from our little piggy bank, we will get a laptop equipped with an Intel Duo Core Processor T5670 (1.80GHz), 1GB DDR-2 SDRAM memory, 160 GB hard drive and a 14-inch Wide HD Display monitor.

For those who have been under coconuts for quite some time, HD stands for High Definition. In comparison, the requirements to run the basic Words, Excel and Powerpoint is only a 500 megahertz (MHz) processor, 256 MB of memory and a 1.5GB space in your hard drive. In short, you are getting a computer capable of launching the next space shuttle for NASA into orbit while your main objective of getting the computer is just to achieve a perfect Pac-Man game by achieving the maximum possible score on the first 255 levels.

Another point to observe is to refrain from getting the hottest and latest products in the market. It’s a sure no-no for me, a massacre to my wallet. The price is cut throat and it will take a 67% dive a few months after hitting the market. Well, just like a pizza piping hot, fresh from the oven, it gets cold after some time. Thumb drives are a classical example. A 128 GB pen drive now costs RM1,200. (wow, that’s half the price of a laptop, which comes with a built-in 160 GB hard disk). I’m looking at a 50% discount to the price one year from now for this 128 GB tech piece. A good cooling off period for most tech stuff to come to a reasonable price would be 1-1½ years after the product hits the market.

Software options

Unlike hardware, where the prices waterfall down after some time, prices of software, unfortunately, do not budge much. This one area needs deep evaluation and study. We are subconsciously drawn to the need to use traditional software products that has been there ever since. It has been so predominant and has become a standard, that we presume and assume that we can’t live without it. When you sit at your table and do your fair share of homework on the current software you are using, especially the licensing cost, you will soon know that your assumptions and presumptions have cost you a bomb.

There are certainly other alternatives, and the numbers, depending on which field or sector you are talking about, can vary from a few to hundreds of alternatives. Take for example our operating system. The slow but steady decline in the market dominance of Microsoft’s Windows from 98% a few years back to 93.06% as of last month shows that there is certainly life outside Windows. Web browser newcomers, or should I say, now true dark horse challengers, have sliced Internet Explorers pie from a comfortable 95% a few years back to a worrying 77% last month.

That would surely raise eyebrows. One of the reasons why such shifts in paradigms take place is because market leaders tend to sit too comfortably on their couches, relying on yesteryears’ technology and utilising old practices. And in the current economic downturn, where price and budget is a very tight and sensitive issue, it makes perfect sense for users to opt for more affordable solutions, and in a few rare cases, even better ones in terms of functionality and also user friendliness. In other words, value for money which is what everybody would ideally go for. Minus the branding.

Take a look at the word documents arena. OpenOffice.org from Sun Microsystems and Google Docs are a couple of alternatives which raise eyebrows but certainly have the juice and dynamite power to blast the current market leaders out of its office. These products offer an alternative to the traditional office applications and have word processing, spreadsheet and presentation software.

OpenOffice.org also offers a database and graphics program. The functionality is no doubt impressive and will seem very familiar where one even claims to be able to read and write traditional file formats. The biggest difference, and certainly the most interesting one, between these two products and the traditional office suite is the price. OpenOffice.org and Google Docs are free of charge.

So what’s stopping hundreds of millions of such users from jumping boat and shifting to the other two products? Fear to change, fear to lead.

Imam Ahmad dan an-Nasa’i, meriwayatkan dari Tsauban, Nabi shallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam bersabda, “Puasa Ramadhan ganjarannya sebanding dengan (puasa) sepuluh bulan, sedangkan puasa enam hari (di bulan Syawal, pahalanya) sebanding dengan (puasa) dua bulan, maka bagaikan berpuasa selama setahun penuh.” (HR. Ibnu Khuzaimah dan Ibnu Hubban dalam “Shahih” mereka)

Dari Abu Hurairah radhallaahu ‘anhu, Nabi Shallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam bersabda, “Barangsiapa berpuasa Ramadhan lantas disambung dengan enam hari di bulan Syawal, maka ia bagaikan telah berpuasa selama setahun.” (HR. al-Bazzar)

Pahala puasa Ramadhan yang dilanjutkan dengan puasa enam hari di bulan Syawal menyamai pahala puasa enam hari penuh, karena setiap hasanah (kebaikan) diganjar sepuluh kali kelipatannya, sebagaimana telah disinggung dalam hadits Tsauban di muka.

Membiasakan puasa setelah Ramadhan memiliki banyak manfa’at, di antaranya:
1. Puasa enam hari di bulan Syawal setelah Ramadhan, merupakan pelengkap dan penyempurna pahala dari puasa setahun penuh.

2. Puasa Syawal dan Sya’ban bagaikan shalat sunnah rawathib, berfungsi sebagai penyempurna dari kekurangan, karena pada hari Kiamat nanti perbuatan-perbuatan fardhu akan disempurnakan (dilengkapi) dengan perbuatan-perbuatan sunnah. Sebagaimana keterangan yang datang dari Nabi Shallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam di berbagai riwayat. Mayoritas puasa fardhu yang dilakukan kaum muslimin memiliki kekurangan dan ketidaksempurnaan, maka hal itu membutuhkan sesuatu yang menutupi dan menyempurnakannya.

3. Membiasakan puasa setelah Ramadhan menandakan diterimanya puasa Ramadhan, karena apabila Allah Ta’ala menerima amal seseorang hamba, pasti Dia menolongnya dalam meningkatkan perbuatan baik setelahnya. Sebagian orang bijak mengatakan, “Pahala amal kebaikan adalah kebaikan yang ada sesudahnya.” Oleh karena itu barangsiapa mengerjakan kebaikan kemudian melanjutkannya dengan kebaikan lain, maka hal itu merupakan tanda atas terkabulnya amal pertama. Demikian pula sebaliknya, jika seseorang melakukan sesuatu kebaikan lalu diikuti dengan yang buruk, maka hal itu merupakan tanda tertolaknya amal yang pertama.

Puasa Ramadhan -sebagaimana disebutkan di muka- dapat mendatangkan maghfirah atas dosa-dosa masa lalu. Orang yang berpuasa Ramadhan akan mendapatkan pahalanya pada hari Raya Iedul Fithri yang merupakan hari pembagian hadiah, maka membiasakan puasa setelah Iedul Fithri merupakan bentuk rasa syukur atas nikmat ini. Dan sungguh tak ada nikmat yang lebih agung dari pengampunan dosa-dosa.

Oleh karena itu termasuk sebagian ungkapan rasa syukur seorang hamba atas pertolongan dan ampuan yang telah dianugerahkan kepadanya adalah dengan berpuasa setelah Ramadhan. Tetapi jika ia justru mengggantinya dengan perbuatan maksiat, maka ia termasuk kelompok orang yang membalas kenikmatan dengan kekufuran. Apabila ia berniat pada saat melakukan puasa untuk kembali melakukan maksiat lagi, maka puasanya tidak akan terkabul, ia bagaikan orang yang membangun sebuah bangunan megah lantas menghancurkannya kembali. Allah Ta’ala berfirman, “Dan janganlah kamu seperti seorang perempuan yang menguraikan benangnya yang sudah dipintal dengan kuat menjadi cerai berai lagi.” (QS. an-Nahl: 92)

5. Dan di antara manfa’at puasa enam hari di bulan Syawal adalah amal-amal yang dikerjakan seorang hamba untuk mendekatkan diri kepada Tuhannya pada bulan Ramadhan tidak terputus dengan berlalunya bulan mulia ini, selama ia masih hidup. Orang yang setelah Ramadhan berpuasa bagaikan orang yang cepat-cepat kembali dari pelariannya, yakni orang yang baru lari dari peperangan fi sabilillah lantas kembali lagi. Sebab tidak sedikit manusia yang berbahagia dengan berlalunya Ramadhan, sebab mereka merasa berat, jenuh dan lama berpuasa Ramadhan.

Barangsiapa yang mereka demikian maka sulit baginya untuk bersegera kembali melaksanakan puasa, padahal orang yang bersegera kembali melaksanakan puasa setelah Iedul Fithri merupakan bukti kecintaannya terhadap ibadah puasa, ia tidak merasa bosan dan berat apalagi benci.

Seorang ulama Salaf ditanya tentang kaum yang bersungguh-sungguh dalam ibadahnya di bulan Ramadhan tetapi jika Ramadhan berlalu mereka tidak bersungguh-sungguh lagi, beliau berkomentar, “Seburuk-buruk kaum adalah yang tidak mengenal Allah Ta’ala secara benar kecuali di bulan Ramadhan saja, padahal orang shalih adalah yang beribadah dengan sungguh-sungguh di sepanjang tahun.”

Oleh karena itu sebaiknya orang yang memiliki hutang puasa Ramadhan memulai membayarnya di bulan Syawal, karena hal itu akan mempercepat proses pembebasan dirinya dari tanggungan hutangnya. Kemudian dilanjutkan dengan enam hari puasa Syawal. Dengan demikian telah melakukan puasa Ramadhan dan mengikutinya dengan enam hari di bulan Syawal.

Ketahuilah amal perbuatan seorang mukmin itu tidak ada batasnya hingga maut menjemputnya. Allah Ta.a’a berfirman, “Dan sembahlah Tuhan-mu sampai datang kepadamu yang diyakini (ajal).” (QS. al-Hijr: 99)

Dan perlu diingat pula bahwa shalat-shalat dan puasa serta shadaqah yang dipergunakan seorang hamba untuk mendekatkan diri kepada Allah Ta’ala pada bulan Ramadhan adalah disyari’atkan sepanjang tahun, karena hal itu mengandung berbagai macam manfaat, diantaranya; ia sebagai pelengkap dari kekuarangan yang terdapat pada fardhu, merupakan salah satu faktor yang mendatangkan mahabbah (kecintaan) Allah kepada Hamba-Nya, sebab terkabulnya doa, demikian pula sebagai sebab dihapuskannya dosa dan dilipatgandakannya pahala kebaikan dan ditinggikannya kedudukan.

Hanya kepada Allah tempat memohon pertolongan, shalawat dan salam semoga tercurahkan selalu keharibaan Nabi, segenap keluar dan sahabat beliau.

Sumber, Risalah Ramadhan, Abdullah bin Jarullah bin Ibrahim al-Jarullah.

Salam,

Sempena Syawal yang bakal menjelma, saya mengucapkan Salam Aidilfitri dan saya ingin memohon ampun dan maaf sekiranya tulisan di dalam blog ini ada menyentuh peribadi seseorang, tersilap kata dan terkasar bahasa.

Saya akan balik beraya di Kota Bharu, Kelantan selama 7 hari. Inilah untung jadi agen. Nak cuti lama-lama pun bos tak marah :-).

Semoga kita dipanjangkan umur dan akan berjumpa bulan Ramadhan pada tahun hadapan.

Wallahu Alam.

Apa-apa hal pun, harap enjoy tengok gambar-gambar kitorang

The reinsurance company posted a 20% growth in revenue to RM1.2bil but net profit plunged 86.7% to RM22.7mil in FY09 against FY08.

Chairman Sharkawi Alis said profitability in the industry might not be in tandem with the revenue achieved.
Sharkawi Alis … ‘Our takaful operation will also consolidate this year.’

“We may do well in increasing the premiums growth but higher claims could pull down profit likewise in FY09. The large difference in net profit in FY09 was also contributed by the RM75mil proceeds from MNRB’s disposal of a 3.24% direct equity interest in Malaysian Oxygen Bhd in FY08,” Sharkawi said after the company’s AGM on Friday last week.

He added that under the current economic climate and what the company had experienced last year, nobody could conclude that the worst was over, hence the modest projection. Sharkawi said Malaysian Reinsurance (MNRB’s wholly-owned subsidiary) would be selective in the industry that it underwrites and not just underwrite for the sake of premiums growth.

“Overseas market expansion, which had been rapid for the past couple of years, will be done cautiously this year to make sure we will invest only in profitable business. Our takaful operation under Takaful Ikhlas, which had enjoyed growth 30% to 40% over the last couple of years, will also consolidate this year. We only target gross contribution income of RM600mil compared with RM580.5mil last year,” he said.

Bila sebut Ramadan, maka ia amat sinonim dengan zakat fitrah. Dalam Islam, di samping zakat harta maka semua umat Islam yang layak diwajibkan zakat fitrah. Zakat fitrah dikenakan kepada semua umat Islam, sama ada merdeka mahu pun hamba sahaya.

Kadar zakat fitrah pula ialah sekadar segantang Baghdad yang dikenakan berdasarkan makanan asasi. Jika di Malaysia, beraslah zakat fitrahnya. Segantang Baghdad itu pula menyamai 2.7 kg. Maka, darablah harga beras semasa dengan 2.7 kg bagi mendapatkan kadar zakat fitrah.

Kadar Zakat Fitrah yang telah ditetapkan bagi tahun 2009 / 1430H adalah seperti beikut :

Kuala Lumpur : Belum diumumkan (2008 : RM 5.20)
Labuan : Belum diumumkan (2008 : RM 5.20)
Putrajaya : Belum diumumkan (2008 : RM 5.20)
Johor : RM 5.00 / RM 7.50
Kedah : RM7.00
Kelantan : Belum diumumkan (2008 : RM 7.60)
Melaka : RM6.30
N.Sembilan : RM6.50
Pahang : RM7.00
Perak : RM7.00
Perlis : RM 6.00
P.Pinang : RM 7.00
Sabah : RM 6.60
Sarawak : RM 6.00
Selangor : RM 7.00
Terengganu : RM 5.00 / RM7.00 / RM8.00

Di dalam memastikan umat Islam khususnya golongan fakir dan miskin turut merasai nikmat hari raya inilah, maka zakat fitrah diwajibkan. Ia bertujuan memberikan mereka makanan yang cukup. Bahkan dalam konteks hari ini, fakir miskin bukan sahaja diberikan makanan bahkan wang ringgit. Maka, dapatlah mereka membeli keperluan hari raya dengan wang ringgit tersebut.

So, jom lah kita sama-sama menunaikan zakat fitrah yang wajib ke atas kita dan tanggungan kita.

Sumber :   BERNAMA dan Blog Zakat