Exploring Intention among Universiti Teknologi Mara Terengganu Community to Donate into Education Waqf Fund

Abstract

Studies on waqf and endowment initiatives in higher education document a transformation of traditional waqf practices into modern funding mechanisms in Malaysia. Historical accounts note that Western academic endowments may have drawn inspiration from waqf, while recent policy documents — such as the Malaysian Education Blueprint 2015–2025 and the University Transformation Programme Purple Book call for integration of waqf into state strategies for higher education financing. This study tries to explore the intention of community of UiTM Cawangan Terengganu in Malaysia to contribute to the educational waqf (endowment) fund. Extending Theory of Planned Behavior, six domains were tested, namely Attitude, Religiosity, Knowledge, Trust, Subjective Norms, and Perceived Behavioral Control. This study uses Partial Least Square - Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) method to analyse data collected from a survey involving 261 respondents. The study found Attitude, Perceived Behavioral Control and Subjective Norms as significant factors in influencing intention of the community to contribute to the educational waqf fund. Understanding this will potentially open new avenues in fundraising efforts by targeting the specific domains of interest.