ADMINISTRATION OF MUSLIM LAW (AMENDMENT) BILL

Order for Second Reading read.

2.55 p.m.

The Minister for Social Affairs (Encik Othman Bin Wok): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

The Administration of Muslim Law (Amendment) Bill, 1975, was introduced in Parliament on 29th July, 1975.

The Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura, under the Administration of the Muslim Law Act (Cap. 42) has certain responsibilities. One of these is the administration of all mosques in Singapore.

Progress in Singapore involves change. The numerous development schemes such as public housing, road development, etc, require the best possible use of land. Wherever possible, alternative sites for religious buildings are provided within the framework of a rational utilisation of scarce land. This applies to all religions in Singapore. The process of urban renewal has resulted in the moving of population from one area to another and the concentration of people in satellite towns. In recognition of the religious needs of the Muslims who have been resettled, the Government has provided the Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura sites for mosques at the satellite towns of Jurong, Toa Payoh and Queenstown. Mosque sites at Woodlands and Chai Chee are also made available to the Majlis. At Chua Chu Kang, a new mosque has already been built by the Government at the site of the new cemetery. At Geylang Serai, two mosques had to be demolished as a result of a new road project, but both were re-built nearby at Government's expense. The re-built mosques at Jalan Rebong and Lorong Ungku Aman are bigger and are provided with better modern facilities. Moreover, the Government has already publicly announced in November 1973 that its policy in the process of urban renewal and development is to reserve adequate sites for a temple, a mosque, and a church in each of the new towns or concentrations of population into which people are moving. Depending on the size of the community in each of these housing estates, adequate space will be reserved for each religion in every new town.

The Muslims in Singapore have experienced difficulties in raising funds for the mosque building programmes. To-date, not a single mosque has been erected at the sites in satellite towns provided by the Government, despite the efforts made by Muslim groups in various parts of Singapore to raise funds for the construction of mosques. The difficulty and the slow pace in fund-raising are compounded by the escalation in building costs. A number of appeals for assistance have been made to the Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura and this has led the Majlis to approach the Government to help solve the problem.

The Bill now before the House seeks to amend the Administration of Muslim Law Act to provide for the establishment of a Mosque Building Fund to be used for building one mosque in each new town. In the course of the next three to eight years, four new mosques, each varying between $500,000 to $800,000 in costs, will be built in Toa Payoh, Queenstown, Jurong and Woodlands. Two other mosques will also be built, one in Chai Chee, another in Telok Blangah or Pasir Panjang.

The Mosque Building Fund will be administered by the Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (MUIS) and contributions to the Fund will be voluntary. The MUIS will appoint their own agents to collect contributions from Muslims who are employers or are self-employed, since these people do not have CPF accounts. For this purpose, Ketua Amils and Amils will also be appointed during each fasting month. The Central Provident Fund Board will be the collecting agent for the contributions payable in respect of Muslim employees.

Members of the House will observe that the Bill makes it compulsory for every employer of a Muslim employee to pay monthly contributions to the Mosque Building Fund of an amount set out in the Schedule to the Act on behalf of his employee. He is empowered to recover such contributions from the wages of his Muslim employees.

Realising that there may be Muslims who are financially unable to afford to contribute, the scheme has been designed as a voluntary scheme. Since contribution to the Mosque Building Fund is voluntary, a Muslim employee who does not wish his employer to contribute to the Mosque Building Fund on his behalf can exercise an option not to contribute under the Act. A Muslim employee who does not wish to contribute could, therefore, file an application for a Certificate of Option with the Majlis Ugama Islam which is responsible for issuing Certificates of Option which are valid for a period not exceeding 12 months. Whilst the Certificate is in force, his employer need not pay contributions on his behalf. However, on the expiry of the period for which the option is in force, the employer shall be liable to pay the contributions unless the employee again exercises an option to absolve him from this liability for a further period of time not exceeding 12 months.

Just as there may be Muslims who are financially unable to contribute, there may be those who wish to contribute more than the minimum amount. For this purpose, the Bill also makes provision for contributions in excess of the minimum amount of 50 cents per month to the Mosque Building Fund. An employee who wishes to contribute more than 50 cents per month can notify his employer by submitting a Notification Form stating the desired amount for a period of six months. Self-employed Muslims can notify the MUIS in like manner.

The MUIS is also empowered to receive contributions for the Mosque Building Fund from non-Muslim persons. Non-Muslim well-wishers are, therefore, welcomed to contribute to the Mosque Building Fund.

The Bill also provides for the Majlis to make rules with the approval of the Minister for Social Affairs for the purpose of collecting contributions direct from those who do not have CPF accounts, either because they are employers or self-employed, and also for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of the Act relating to the Mosque Building Fund.

Sir, I beg to move.

Question proposed.

3.03 p.m.

Haji Mohd. Ariff Bin Suradi (Kampung Kembangan): (In Malay): Mr Speaker, Sir, following the Prime Minister's announcement concerning the provision of sites for mosques in new satellite towns, statements were made concerning the voluntary deductions of 50 cents per month from Muslim employees through the CPF. Muslims in Singapore have now become more than ever convinced of the Government's policy. Prior to these announcements, complaints and grievances could be heard from many Muslims in Singapore, and their target was the Muslim Religious Council of Singapore.

Although the Muslims in Singapore accepted, in principle, the demolition of old mosques on those sites which are affected by urban development, nevertheless their feeling of suspicion could be discerned because those mosques affected by development have already been demolished whilst the building of new ones has yet to commence. With the spiralling costs of building materials consequent upon inflation, it is even more difficult to build the mosques which are being planned because of the shortage of funds. It would seem that these mosques will never be built so long as building costs do not return to normal levels as in 1972 and 1973.

With this Bill, however, Mr Speaker, Sir, the Muslims now feel that the Government is really sincere in wanting to assist and cooperate with them towards the progress of Muslims in Singapore, so that they can be put, on the same level as the other communities, not by providing a subsidy but by practical means, like giving them facilities to collect and raise funds from the Muslims themselves. The Muslims in Singapore also realise that although they are left far behind in all fields of endeavour, they do not want to depend solely on assistance from the Government. They do not want to be a social burden to the Government and to the other communities in Singapore.

I have been informed that, since the commencement of the deductions in May, 1975, the net amount received by the Muslim Religious Council of Singapore through the CPF was $51,000 and in the subsequent month it was $53,000. From the total number of Muslims in Singapore only 40 do not wish to have their pay deducted for the purpose. This means that the number of such people is negligible. I believe that this Bill will produce the desired benefits for the Muslims in Singapore.

Mr Speaker, Sir, may I say something on the new section 75B in clause 3 regarding the provision for the payment of any costs of administering this Fund? I believe this Fund will be maintained through computerised collections by the CPF. I also believe that the cost of administering this Fund and the salaries of those who administer this Fund will be paid out of the contributions. May I suggest to the Minister in charge that similarly contributions to this Fund be used to pay the Imams and the caretakers of the mosques built out of this Fund.

With regard to the new section 7SF, which empowers the Majlis to make rules, I would ask the Minister to give careful attention to this power. I would like to draw the attention of the Minister to the power given to the Majlis Ugama Is/am to award scholarships met by the collection of tithes. From my experience I have discovered that some Muslims in Singapore who have gone abroad to further their studies and are no longer Singapore citizens still continue to receive these scholarships. Furthermore students who are studying abroad and who have since married foreigners in their places of study are still receiving these scholarships. I think this is most inappropriate. Again, recipients of these scholarships have been known to drive in Opel 1700s to attend classes whilst applicants for such scholarships who are genuinely in need of financial assistance, as they are fatherless and depend solely on their brothers who themselves have their own responsibilities, are deprived of these scholarships. I hope the Minister in charge will give serious attention to this matter concerning the power to make rules to pay out money from contributions by Muslims towards the Mosque Building Fund.

Encik Othman Bin Wok: Mr Speaker, Sir, I would just like to point out to the Member for Kampung Kembangan that this Fund is established for the purpose of building mosques in the new towns only, and not as he has stated just now, i.e, whenever a mosque is pulled down a new mosque will be built on the site. The Fund is not meant for that purpose. It is specifically set up to build mosques in the new towns which I have named in my Second Reading speech.

On his point about utilising monies in the Mosque Building Fund under the new section 75B, in clause 3 of the Bill, I wish to reiterate that the Fund is established for a specific purpose only, that is, it shall be used for:

`(a)the purpose of building any mosque in Singapore; and

(b)the payment of any costs, charges and expenses of maintaining and administering the Mosque Building Fund.'

I am afraid the monies cannot be used for any other purpose than what is stated in the Bill.

On his third point about the powers given to the MUIS, I can assure him, Sir, that I will keep an eye on whatever the MUIS is doing.

Question put, and agreed to.

Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House.

The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill.-[Encik Othman Bin Wok].

Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed.