Debated in Parliament on 11 Feb 2019.
Prof Fatimah Lateef asked the Minister for Environment and Water Resources and Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs in view of the recent restriction order meted out to a former religious teacher recognised under the Asatizah Recognition Scheme (a) how is MUIS reviewing the Scheme; and (b) whether there will be newer domains for consideration, provisional periods of observation and compulsory face-to-face interviews before final approval of applications under the Scheme.
The Asatizah Recognition Scheme (ARS) requires all Muslim religious teachers, or asatizahs, to abide by a Code of Ethics. This includes not encouraging extremism or violence, denigrating other racial and religious groups, committing ethical misconduct and promoting segregationist practices. The Asatizah Recognition Board (ARB) oversees the ARS, supported by the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS). The ARB consists of senior and respected asatizahs in the community.
In her Parliamentary Question (PQ), the Member refers to the case of Mr Murad Mohd Said, who was placed on a Restriction Order in December 2018. Murad's ARS-recognition was cancelled in May 2018, after Murad contravened the ARS Code of Ethics. This is how the ARS system should work. It monitors and takes action to bar those whose views are inimical to social cohesion from preaching.
I wish to assure the Member that ARB and MUIS take ARS registration seriously. Processes have been put in place to ensure that our asatizahs registered with ARS can perform the role that the community entrusts them to do. These processes include, as the Member has suggested, instituting provisional periods of observation and requiring additional interviews when deemed necessary by ARB.
All ARS-asatizahs are also required to go for regular training, and their suitability is periodically reviewed. If there are reports or if they demonstrate that they are unfit to be asatizahs, such as breaching the Code of Ethics, their ARS status will be cancelled.
Both MUIS and ARB conduct regular reviews of the ARS system. ARS is meant to build up and support our asatizah community, so that they are reliable and credible sources of religious knowledge for the Muslim community and play an important role in fostering peace and harmony.
PAPERCUTS