Ensuring accreditation under the Asatizah Recognition Scheme is reviewed periodically

Question

Mr Mohamed Irshad: To ask the Minister for Environment and Water Resources & Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs (a) what safeguards are in place to ensure that the religious teachers who are accredited under the Asatizah Recognition Scheme (ARS) do not hold radical views; (b) whether there are mechanisms to periodically review and renew the ARS accreditation; and (c) whether there is an independent oversight body to review the ARS accreditation.

Response

1. Mr Masagos Zulkifli, Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs: The Asatizah Recognition Scheme, or ARS, requires all Muslim religious teachers, or asatizah, 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, or ARB, oversees the ARS, and is supported by the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore, or MUIS. The ARB consists of senior and respected asatizah in the community.

2. In the case of Mr Murad Mohd Said, who was placed on a Restriction Order in December 2018, his ARS-recognition was cancelled in May 2018, after he 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.

3. I wish to assure the Member that the ARB and MUIS take ARS registration seriously. Processes have been put in place to ensure that our asatizah registered with the ARS can perform the role that the community entrusts them to do. These processes include instituting provisional periods of observation and requiring additional interviews when deemed necessary by the ARB. Each asatizah would also be required to renew their registration every three years.

4. All ARS-asatizah 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 an asatizah, such as breaching the Code of Ethics, their ARS status will be cancelled.

5. Both MUIS and the ARB conduct regular reviews of the ARS system. The 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.

Mr Speaker in Malay

6. Saya berterima kasih kepada golongan asatizah kita atas kerja keras mereka dalam melaksanakan ARS. ARS diwajibkan pada tahun 2017, dan kini, lebih 4,000 asatizah berdaftar di bawah skim ini. Masyarakat kita juga menyokong inisiatif ini. Dengan usaha kita yang bersepadu, kita dapat sama-sama memupuk masyarakat Islam yang teguh,yakin dan terus berupaya menyumbang kepada kemajuan negara.

7. Sokongan ARS oleh asatizah membayangkan iltizam mereka mematuhi Kod Etika yang dibentuk berdasarkan nilai-nilai Islam yang teguh, progresif, dan menganjurkan kesederhanaan. Ini amat penting dalam memupuk keharmonian agama dalam masyarakat Singapura yang berbilang agama.