Standard law for all religious, tahfiz schools

Fuziah Salleh, deputy minister for religious affairs, says the draft law will be prepared by Jakim.

TAWAU: A standard law on Islamic religious schools, including tahfiz schools, is being drafted for use as a guideline in all states, deputy minister for religious affairs Fuziah Salleh said today.

She said the setting up or registration of tahfiz schools came under state law and the law differed from state to state.

‘’In some state enactments on religious schools, tahfiz schools are not defined as religious schools. Others already registered are problematic as their premises do not meet the stipulated level of safety required by the local authorities or Fire and Rescue Department,” said Fuziah.

She said the standard law was being drafted by a technical committee of Jakim, the Malaysian Islamic Development Department, on the suggestion of Deputy Prime Minister Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail that all laws and guidelines on administering tahfiz schools be co-ordinated.

Fuziah said the best elements from each state law would be included in the new guideline which would become the standard law.

‘’When it is agreed upon as a standard law, every state will be using it. And, eventually, we want to ensure that issues such as registration and safety do not arise,’’ she said.

Without a standard law, she said it was difficult to act against unregistered tahfiz schools if something untoward took place.

In the meantime, she said a fund collection centre, or special fund for religious and tahfiz schools, would be set up at the suggestion of the deputy prime minister. - FMT