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Administration of Muslim Law Bill

Bill No. 61/1965

Read the first time on 13th December 1965.

An Act to repeal and re-enact the law 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.

Be it enacted by the President with the advice and consent of the Parliament of Singapore thereof, as follows: —

PART I

PRELIMINARY

Short title and commencement

1. This Act may be cited as the Administration of Muslim Law Act, 1965, and shall come into operation on such date as the President of Singapore may, by notification in the Gazette, appoint:

Provided that the President of Singapore may from time to time, by notification in the Gazette, appoint different dates for the coming into operation of different provisions or Parts of this Act.

Interpretation

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

“Appeal Board” means the Appeal Board constituted under section 56 of this Act;

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

“daerah masjid” means the area prescribed by the Majlis in accordance with section 79 of this Act within which a mosque is situated;

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

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

“Fund” means the General Endowment Fund established under section 58 of this Act;

“General Register” means the General Register of marriages, divorces or revocations of divorce kept by the Registrar under section 96 of this Act;

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

“jawatan kuasa daerah” means a Committee of a daerah masjid appointed under rules made under subsection (2) of section 82 of this Act;

“Kathi” means a Kathi appointed under section 87 of this Act;

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

“Majlis” means the Majlis Ugama Islam, Singapura, constituted under section 3 of this Act;

“mas-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;

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

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

“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 Kathi” means a Naib or Assistant Kathi appointed under section 87 of this Act;

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

“nazr ’am” means a nazr 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;

“Registrar” means a person appointed as Registrar of Muslim Marriages and Divorces under section 86 of this Act;

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

“wakaf khas” means a dedication in perpetuity of the capital of property for religious or charitable purposes recognized 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;

“zakat” means the tithe of property payable annually in accordance with the Muslim law.