The Concept of Al-Mutawalli in Waqf Management at Malaysian Public Universities

Waqf is increasingly recognised as an Islamic social finance instrument with the potential to strengthen financial sustainability, student welfare, research, and institutional development in higher education. However, the expansion of waqf initiatives within Malaysian public universities raises fundamental questions concerning the status, authority, fiduciary responsibilities, and accountability of universities acting as al-mutawalli, given that State Islamic Religious Councils (SIRCs) are legally designated as the sole trustees of waqf assets within their respective jurisdictions. This conceptual article aims to elucidate the concept of al-mutawalli from the Shariah perspective, analyse its position within Malaysia’s legal and institutional waqf framework, and propose an appropriate al-mutawalli governance framework for public universities. The study adopts a qualitative approach based on document analysis of classical Islamic sources and waqf jurisprudence, selected statutory provisions, government guidelines, institutional documents, and relevant academic literature. The thematic-doctrinal analysis identifies seven domains that constitute the Al-Mutawalli Governance Framework for Public Universities: legitimacy and mandate; Shariah-based fiduciary responsibility; competence and professionalism; organisational structure and segregation of duties; asset, investment, and risk management; accountability and transparency; and the measurement of benefits and impact. This article argues that public universities do not supersede SIRCs as the sole trustees of waqf assets. Rather, they function as institutional mutawallis under clearly defined, circumscribed, and auditable mandates. The proposed framework clarifies the trust-based principal–agent relationship between SIRCs and public universities and provides a foundation for standardising instruments of appointment, matrices of authority, reporting mechanisms, Shariah audits, and performance evaluation. This study contributes to the literature by shifting the focus from fundraising activities to the architecture of authority, governance, and accountability governing university waqf administrators.

Al-Mutawalli; Higher Education Waqf; Public Universities; Waqf Governance; State Islamic Religious Councils

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