KUALA LUMPUR - Charity extends beyond their own shores for many Muslims in Malaysia, who are choosing to order ritual animal sacrifices for Hari Raya Haji to be carried out in another country, and the meat distributed to needy people there.
This even though coronavirus restrictions have been lifted, allowing for the Islamic ritual, korban, to be carried out in mosques in Malaysia.
“People are becoming familiar and comfortable with online services, including korban services,” Mr Ahmad Fadzlullah Hasanuddin, EZ Qurban’s chief executive officer, told The Straits Times.
EZ Qurban is among a number of organisations in Malaysia that offer online korban services. It spent RM20 million (S$5.8 million) on slaughter last year, and this year held a promotional campaign with Maybank Islamic.
The organisation began in 2007, after founder Azhar Ab Shukur, who served as an assistant mufti in Cambodia, saw that the impoverished minority Muslim community there had access to meat only during the annual Muslim ritual of animal sacrifice. Cambodia is listed as one of its destinations abroad for Malaysians to carry out the korban ritual.
In 2020, EZ Qurban recorded its highest figure of 18,361 slaughters, amid the Covid-19 lockdowns in Malaysia.
But while online orders for korban services skyrocketed during the coronavirus pandemic, they dipped to 14,397 in 2021, before rising again to 15,042 in 2022. Registration is still open for 2023.
While the annual Hari Raya Haji ritual of korban involves the sacrifice of an animal – usually a goat or a cow – and the distribution of the meat to family members, neighbours and the less fortunate in the community, many organisations which operate online korban also offer livestock to be slaughtered overseas.
EZ Qurban gives Malaysians the option to pay for the slaughter of an animal in 41 locations, including Palestine, Syria, Ethiopia, Somalia and Cambodia. The meat is then distributed to communities in need in those countries.
Other companies offering similar services include Serantau Muslim, Ikhlas, Islamic Relief, UTS Korban and Alkhairi Qurban.
Some, such as Yayasan Budi Ihsan Malaysia, offer camels besides goats and cows.
The livestock in other countries is often priced much lower than in Malaysia, making it more affordable for those on a tight budget to carry out the religious practice.
The exceptions are in Palestine, where the price of a single cow can amount to RM19,000, and other conflict-ridden areas such as Syria, according to Mr Ahmad Fadzlullah.
“The scarcity of suppliers contributes to the elevated prices of livestock in these regions,” he said.
EZ Qurban offers on its website a goat for RM590 overseas, and RM1,249 for a goat in Malaysia. For a portion of a cow overseas, it charges RM350, and in Malaysia, RM750.
It allows the use of credit card payments.
In comparison, a surau (small mosque) in Kuala Lumpur offered a portion of a cow for RM850 to its congregants, and had only a limited supply, with a fixed deadline depending on availability. This is typical of many mosques in Malaysia.
Mrs Noorin Abdul, 44, who works in a bank, said that it is easy to carry out her korban online.
“The attractive pricing and slot availability are also plus points,” she said.
“I also like to choose international locations where the Muslim community is impoverished or facing hardship.”
Housewife Rahimah Rahman, 51, said she is using EZ Qurban for the first time this year, as rising costs due to inflation have affected her family of seven.
“The cost of the cattle here is not within our budget,” she said.
While most mosques would have closed registrations well ahead of Hari Raya Aidiladha or Hari Raya Haji, EZ Qurban will accept orders until June 30.
