Administration of Muslim Law Act

Status:

Revised Edition
published on 31 Oct 2009

(CHAPTER 3)

(Original Enactment: Act 27 of 1966)

REVISED EDITION 2009

(31st October 2009)

An Act relating to Muslims and to make provision for regulating Muslim religious affairs and to constitute a council to advise on matters relating to the Muslim religion in Singapore and a Syariah Court.

[31st October 2009]

PART I

Preliminary

Short title

1. This Act may be cited as the Administration of Muslim Law Act.

Interpretation

¹2. In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires —

“Appeal Board” means an Appeal Board constituted under section 55;

“court” means a court of competent jurisdiction, other than the Syariah Court;

“daerah masjid” means the area prescribed by the Majlis in accordance with section 83 within which a mosque is situated;

“emas kahwin” means the obligatory marriage-payment due under the Muslim law by the husband to the wife at the time the marriage is solemnized, whether paid in cash or in kind, or payable as a debt with or without security;

“fitrah” means the amount of rice or its equivalent value in money payable under the Muslim law annually by a Muslim during the month of Ramadan to be used for religious or charitable purposes recognised by the Muslim law;

“Fund” means the General Endowment Fund established under section 57;

“Haj” means a pilgrimage in accordance with the Muslim law;

“halal”, in relation to any product, service or activity, means the requirements of the Muslim law are complied with in the production, processing, marketing, display or carrying out, as the case may be, of that product, service or activity;

“halal certificate”, in relation to any product, service or activity, means a certificate to the effect that the requirements of the Muslim law are complied with in the production, processing, marketing, display or carrying out, as the case may be, of that product, service or activity;

“iddah” means the period within which a divorced woman or a widow is forbidden by the Muslim law to remarry;

“janda” means a female who has been married and whose marriage has been terminated by divorce or the death of her husband;

“jawatankuasa daerah” means a committee of a daerah masjid appointed under rules made under section 86(1);

“Kadi” means a Kadi appointed under section 91;

“Legal Committee” means the Legal Committee of the Majlis appointed under section 31;

“Majlis” means the Majlis Ugama Islam, Singapura, constituted and continued under section 3;

“mosque” means a building dedicated and used for the purpose of holding the Friday congregational prayers and other ceremonies connected with the Muslim religion;

“Mosque Building and Mendaki Fund” means the Mosque Building and Mendaki Fund established under section 76;

“Mufti” means the person appointed to be the Mufti of Singapore under section 30;

“Muslim” means a person who professes the religion of Islam;

“mutawalli” means a person appointed to manage a wakaf or mosque and includes a trustee;

“Naib Kadi” means a Naib or an Assistant Kadi appointed under section 91;

“nazar” means an expressed vow to do any act or to dedicate property for any purpose allowed by the Muslim law;

“nazar am” means a nazar intended wholly or in part for the benefit of the Muslim community generally or part thereof, as opposed to an individual or individuals;

“pegawai masjid” means a trustee, mutawalli, Imam, Khatib, Bilal and Noja, if any, for the time being of a mosque;

“President” means the President of the Majlis;

“product” includes food and foodstuffs;

“Register of Divorces” means the Register of Divorces kept by the Syariah Court under section 100;

“Register of Marriages” means the Register of Marriages kept by the Registrar under section 100;

“Register of Revocation of Divorces” means the Register of Revocation of Divorces kept by the Registrar under section 100;

“Registrar” means the person appointed as Registrar of Muslim Marriages under section 90;

“specified halal certification mark” means any certification mark specified under section 88A(4);

“wakaf” means the permanent dedication by a Muslim of any movable or immovable property for any purpose recognised by the Muslim law as pious, religious or charitable;

“wakaf `am” means a dedication in perpetuity of the capital and income of property for pious, religious or charitable purposes recognised by the Muslim law and the property so dedicated;

“wakaf khas” means a dedication in perpetuity of the capital of property for pious, religious or charitable purposes recognised by the Muslim law, the income of the property being paid to persons or for purposes specified in the wakaf, and the property so dedicated;

“wali” means the lawful guardian according to the Muslim law for purposes of marriage of a woman who is to be married;

“Yayasan Mendaki” means the company limited by guarantee which is incorporated under the Companies Act (Cap. 50) under the name of Yayasan Mendaki;

“zakat” means the charitable contribution required to be made by a Muslim in accordance with the Muslim law.

[34/73; 31/75; 31/84; 14/90; 20/99]

¹This section will be amended as set out in section 2 of the Administration of Muslim Law (Amendment) Act 2005 (Act 35 of 2005) when that section is brought into operation.

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