New Regulations On Conversion To Islam To Take Effect In NS

(Bernama) – “The new regulations are aimed at protecting the sanctity of Islam and at preventing the religion from being insulted and ridiculed just because of a wrongdoing of an individual.”

Several proposed new regulations will be enforced in Negeri Sembilan in a bid to strengthen the law on conversion to Islam as stipulated in the Administration of the Religion of Islam (Negeri Sembilan) Enactment 2003.

Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said the proposed regulations would not only strengthen the enactment, but would also avoid controversy and most importantly, would ensure that Islam would not be ridiculed or insulted just because of a wrongdoing of a Muslim convert.

“The new regulations are aimed at protecting the sanctity of Islam and at preventing the religion from being insulted and ridiculed just because of a wrongdoing of an individual,” he said.

He said this to reporters after attending a briefing by Negeri Sembilan Islamic Religious Council (MAINS) to Yang Dipertuan Besar Negeri Sembilan Tuanku Muhriz Ibni Almarhum Tuanku Munawir in Seremban, Thursday.

Mohamad, who is also MAINS chairman said the new regulations, among others, required a non-Muslim to obtain dissolution of marriage from his or her spouse before converting to Islam in Negeri Sembilan and that he or she must make a statutory declaration about having converted to Islam to prevent future problems.

“If he or she converted to Islam first and then decided to dissolve the marriage, there will be problems, so it is better to dissolve the marriage first before converting to Islam.

“The statutory declaration is also vital to prevent family disputes over the remains of a Muslim convert,” the menteri besar said.

Mohamad said the new regulations had been consented by the Yang Dipertuan Besar Negeri Sembilan and need not to be tabled at the State Legislative Assembly, but only the approval of the State Executive Council.