THE Ministry of Religious Affairs is mulling the possibility of
drafting a legislation to monitor and control cases of apostasy (murtad), its minister disclosed yesterday during the eighth Legislation Council (LegCo) proceedings.
LegCo member Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Maharaja Kerna Dato Paduka Seri Hj Yaakub Pehin Orang Kaya Maharaja Diraja Dato Paduka Hj Zainal noted that there was an increase in the number of Muslim converts annually.
However, he reminded the nation to be wary of apostasy issues that had happened abroad and to learn from these cases.
He asked whether there was any existing legislation to address the issue.
Responding to this, Yang Berhormat Pg Dato Seri Setia Dr Hj Muhammad Pg Hj Abdul Rahman said that there was no such law in implementation.
"(And) this is in our future thoughts, we will try to provide a law for those who become apostates," he said.
YB Pehin Dato Hj Yaakub
also asked how long a convert holds the status of being a new Muslim
and if they still receive help once they have matured as Muslims.
"Actually
there is a period, once that individual has become a Muslim for 10
years, he should not be treated as a new Muslim anymore. If he has
fulfilled and completed Islamic propagation and education programmes, then by right, he cannot be treated as a new Muslim anymore," YB Pg Dato Dr Hj Muhammad explained.
A convert who has performed the Haj
pilgrimage, two or three years after their conversion, would also lose
the status as a new Muslim regardless if they have not reached the
10-year monitoring term. This is because their Islamic knowledge and
faith would be deemed sufficient, the minister added.
YB Pehin Dato Hj Yaakub, during the morning session yesterday, also enquired on whether a computerised database of the deceased for family reference purposes, as implemented for the Kg Terunjing Muslim cemetery, be practiced at other cemeteries in the Sultanate.
The
minister believed while he needed to check with his officers for
certainty, it would be safe to assume that it should be implemented at
other cemeteries across the Sultanate.
The Brunei Times

Friday, March 16, 2012