SINGAPORE — Changes to laws to strengthen the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore's (Muis) ability to oversee all Muslim religious schools were passed in Parliament on Monday (Feb 5).

Under the amendments to the Administration of Muslim Law Act (AMLA), Muis will be allowed to take enforcement action against any of such schools which are unregistered.

A definition of Muslim religious schools will also be introduced, and there will be inspection powers for Muis officers.

Tabling the Bill for a second reading, Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Masagos Zulkifli said the changes will ensure that Islamic religious education in Singapore is conducted by accredited institutions and asatizah (religious teachers) with the necessary qualifications.

While AMLA states that it is the function and duty of Muis to administer all Muslim religious schools in Singapore, the definition of such institutions has never been prescribed in law, said Mr Masagos.

“This will maintain the integrity of our religious sector in guiding our Muslim community on the practice of Islam in a modern and multi-religious society,” he added.

Under the new amendments, a Muslim religious school can be defined as any person or organisation which "habitually" provides Islamic instruction to 10 or more individuals physically present in Singapore, or a place where 10 or more individuals physically present in Singapore are habitually provided with Islamic instruction.

In the case of a correspondence school where Islamic instruction is provided to 10 or more individuals physically present in Singapore, it is defined as the place or places where such instruction is prepared or where answers are examined or corrected.

In his speech, Member of Parliament Muhamad Faisal Manap (WP-Aljunied) voiced his party's support for the amendments, but asked how the figure of 10 or more individuals was arrived at.

In response, Mr Masagos said that the number is in line with the "broad understanding" of what a school is defined as in other legislative acts, and to ensure consistency.

Nominated Member of Parliament Dr Syed Harun Taha Alhabsyi also sought clarification on the intention of including an individual as part of the definition of Muslim religious schools given that such religious instruction could be carried out privately within a family.

"I would like to clarify that this amendment aims to better regulate Islamic religious education in Singapore, specifically religious schools or other individuals and entities that provide religious instructions," said Mr Masagos in his closing speech.

"It's not intended to regulate the private and personal sharing of religious views and opinions between individuals, friends, family members or colleagues."

Mr Masagos added that Islamic education in Singapore must be delivered by individuals who are certified under Muis' Asatizah Recognition Scheme.

Muslim religious schools also must be registered under Muis, as part of the Islamic Education Centres and Providers (IECP) scheme, he pointed out. These IECPs must submit their school curriculum syllabus and learning materials for verification and "quality assessments".

Muis also conducts "periodic audits" on these institutions and their teachers to ensure "quality education", he said.

A SLEW OF CHANGES

AMLA was introduced in 1966 to cover key aspects of Muslim life in Singapore, so that personal matters such as marriage, divorce and estates could continue to be governed by Muslim law.

Under the Act, Muis was established as a statutory board to administer the religious affairs of the Singapore Muslim community. AMLA has since been reviewed regularly.

Last year, the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth published a draft of the new Bill for public consultations. There was "broad support" from the community and "valuable feedback" received, added Mr Masagos in his speech.

The other changes to the AMLA include the Registry of Muslim Marriages (ROMM) being able to issue digital certificates of marriage.

Similar to the case for civil marriages, this digital certificate will not require the signatures of the Muslim marriage solemniser, as well as the marrying parties and their witnesses.

This follows amendments to the Act in 2022 where ROMM was allowed to continue to conduct solemnisations via video-link technology.

Moving forward, Muis will also be able to create a wakaf — Islamic charitable endowment — on its own. The Bill will be the "overarching legal foundation" for the Wakaf Masyarakat Singapura (WMS), which was announced in 2020.

While this practice of leaving a charitable legacy for future generations has been ingrained in Muslim tradition, the wakaf created in the past are no longer “sufficient nor flexible” enough to meet the evolving needs of Singapore’s Muslim community, said Mr Masagos.

Unlike traditional wakaf which must be created by Muslim individuals and scoped for specific religious charitable purposes by the bequeathed upon their death, the Muis wakaf will serve as a community endowment fund for social and religious development, he added.

It will "enable more individuals to bequeath their assets for future generations and for our Muslim community to remain financially self-reliant and capable to address future needs and challenges”. CNA