RECENTLY, a Malaysian woman shared how her mother’s attempt to “appear generous” did not end well, after she was left with very little from spending her RM800,000 hibah (endowment) on donations and helping others.
“She didn’t buy any land, didn’t build a house, didn’t do waqf or infaq — hasn’t even gone for Hajj,” @fajrienaaaaaaaa shared in a Threads post, adding that her mother had even pawned off several pieces of gold jewellery to make ends meet.
Despite receiving well-meaning advice from her family, the woman’s mother ignored warnings about financial management, with much of the money allegedly spent on appearances of generosity rather than long-term stability.
The woman’s mother had reportedly purchased 10 cows for Hari Raya Korban and gave a friend RM50,000 for an investment, with no returns or updates to date.
“Money not earned through one’s own hard work can be wasted easily. People say gambling wastes money — but even spending it on ‘halal’ things can leave you with nothing if there’s no proper management.
“She prioritised giving money to her friends when they asked. Have they paid her back? No,” she added.
In the end, the mother was left with a few thousand ringgit.
The post sparked a broader discussion on poor financial management within families, resonating with many users who said they had experienced similar situations with parents who mismanaged their inheritances.
“Not surprising at all — people like this really are hard to talk to. My in-laws are the same. They even let go of inherited land worth RM1.3 million, and sold it for just RM260,000,” one user shared.
“Honestly, there are so many people like this, and I’m not even surprised. I work in the financial industry, and I’ve seen all kinds of cases. Some people burn through RM500k in just a month. Even those who receive RM1 million in hibah — some manage to finish it in less than a year,” another commented.
