Badan Amil Zakat Nasional (Baznas) or Indonesian zakat council asked The President of Indonesia Joko Widodo  to issue a rule cutting zakat for civil servants (PNS).

The statement was delivered directly by Chairman Baznas Noor Achmad in front of Joko Widodo at the launch of the Zakat Love Movement and The Handover of Zakat to Baznas at the State Palace, presidential palace complex, Jakarta on Thursday (15/04/2021).

The rule requested by Achmad Noor is a 2.5% salary deduction rule for zakat, to Civil Servants (PNS), Employees of State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN ), TNI and Police. "In order to manifest the culture of mutual cooperation, if the President is also pleased to issue a Presidential Regulation on the management of zakat revenues and services through Baznas to the Ministry of Institutions, TNI / Police, and BUMN," said Achmad Noor.

Previously, to CNBC Indonesia, Noor explained that he had conveyed the idea to Jokowi since last year and on February 24, 2021, he had also met the President directly at the Jakarta State Palace.

From the meeting, said Noor, Jokowi fully supports the cuts in salaries of civil servants, TNI, and Police every month of 2.5% for zakat. Jokowi is reportedly preparing a Presidential Regulation. "What is expected with the Presidential Regulation is the salary of civil servants, state-owned enterprises, TNI, police who have reached one nisab in one year or equivalent to 85 grams of gold cut by 2.5% per month when payday," Noor told CNBC Indonesia.

"For mandatory Civil Servants, the concept will be mandatory. The deduction is every month at the time of payday."

For private employees, this has not been done. However, Noor welcomes that private companies also want to apply the same to their employees. "It could be that the leaders of private companies and their respective people (by cutting directly through payroll)," Noor continued.

Noor said one way to make zakat deductions is calculated as the equivalent of 85 grams of gold. So approximately Rp 85 million per year or Rp 7 million per month.

This means that for servants of the state who have salaries below Rp 7 million per month. This is also not mandatory for non-Muslim civil servants.

"About that, his salary was a month there. If the salary is only Rp 5 million to Rp 6 million is not (applicable), not yet (to be deducted final zakat 2.5%)," he said.

"For non-Muslim civil servants do not apply. In fact, non-Muslim friends responded 'in us there is also an obligation to it'. Non-Muslim friends say that."

One of the purposes of this zakat deduction, Noor said that the national zakat conducts  good arrangement and management, clear, and accountable. The reason, so far, a lot of zakat is used for negative things.

"Until the collection of zakat, the collection of infaq, alms allocation is clear. To date, we are still being asked by Densus 88 (there) that is used to fund terrorism, that's what we will prevent together," Noor continued.

The money from the final zakat deduction will be handed over to each institution to be used for what. That is clearly not allowed for infrastructure development.