Safeguards in Mosques and Religious Institutions

*2747. Dr Wan Rizal: To ask the Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs what proactive surveillance and enforcement actions is MUIS taking to identify and penalise unaccredited individuals who bypass the Asatizah Recognition Scheme (ARS) by offering informal religious instruction, spiritual mentoring, or home tuition via social media platforms.

*2748. Mr Saktiandi Supaat: To ask the Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs to what extent will MUIS review safeguards for religious activities involving minors at mosques, including (i) supervision of interactions between adults and children (ii) verification of persons conducting religious instruction or mentoring and (iii) protocols for parents, mosque staff and youths to report individuals who operate outside of the authorised programmes.

*2750. Ms Hazlina Abdul Halim: To ask the Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs regarding the recent case involving an individual not accredited under the Asatizah Recognition Scheme (ARS) who conducted religious lessons at a mosque (a) whether MUIS has established how he came to conduct such lessons; (b) whether similar unofficial lessons have been reported at other mosques; and (c) what safeguards is MUIS implementing to prevent such unofficial and unauthorised classes from taking place.

*2751. Ms Hazlina Abdul Halim: To ask the Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs (a) whether the requirement for religious teachers to be accredited under the Asatizah Recognition Scheme (ARS) applies to all persons conducting religious classes on mosque premises, including informal, private or self-organised classes by persons who are not mosque employees; and (b) if so, what measures can mosques take to identify and prevent uncredited religious teachers from conducting such classes. 

*2753. Mr Fadli Fawzi: To ask the Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs (a) why a man recently sentenced for serious sexual offences was reportedly able to conduct religious classes in a mosque for the youth victims and their friends, despite not being a member of staff, volunteer, or an accredited religious teacher; and (b) what safeguards has MUIS implemented to ensure that only accredited asatizahs can conduct classes at mosques.

*2770. Ms Hazlina Abdul Halim: To ask the Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs (a) with regard to the affected victims of sexual offences at the mosque premises, how is MUIS and MSF supporting them, especially with recent speculations on the victims’ identities online; and (b) whether there are plans to work with social service agencies or Malay/Indian/Muslim organisations to also support their families.

*2779. Dr Wan Rizal: To ask the Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs (a) whether mosques and Islamic education providers are required to conduct background screening on staff, volunteers and freelance instructors who work with children; (b) how many mosques have a written child safeguarding policy in place; and (c) whether MUIS will publish the findings of its current review and any resulting minimum safeguarding standards, so that parents can see what has changed.

*2924. Mr Sharael Taha: To ask the Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs (a) when the review of safeguarding measures at mosques will be completed; (b) whether it will strengthen safeguards for informal religious activities involving minors, including the verification of religious teachers, supervision of adult-child interactions and access to secluded areas; and (c) whether consistent mechanisms for reporting and responding to safeguarding concerns will be established across all mosques.

Response

1. Speaker, my response will address Questions 8 to 15 in today's Order Paper.

2. Mr Speaker, let me speak plainly about what happened. Two children were sexually violated at the hands of someone they trusted to guide them in their faith. My heart goes out to them and their families. The pain and trauma they have endured should never have happened. The judge described these offences as utterly abhorrent and heinous. I agree, I fully agree, and I share the community’s deep anger and deep sorrow on this matter.

3. Before I address the Members' questions, let me speak plainly to the victims and their family. You were let down by someone who used your trust against you. I am deeply sorry for what has happened. I want to assure you that we will learn from this and work hard to better protect our children.

4. Let me now speak on the support provided to the victims. I will then address the facts of the case. Finally, I will outline what we are doing and what more we will do to keep our children safe.

5. When the case was reported to the Police in April 2024, Victim Care Officers  were immediately assigned by the Police to support the victims and their family. The family was already receiving professional support from a Family Service Centre, and a medical social worker followed up after the initial forensic examination.

6. When the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) was made aware of the details in August 2026, it also stepped in directly. PELITA, a MUIS initiative, has been working with agencies and community partners to help the children transition to a new school, provide psycho-religious support, and offer financial assistance for their relocation and immediate needs.

7. We will do our best to continue providing support where needed. I am also aware that the Adviser in the victim’s constituency is also actively involved to provide ground support.

8. I also note there has been online speculation about the victims' identities. This must stop. Our children deserve protection and I urge everyone to be responsible.

9. Let me now address the facts of the case. MUIS was informed by the Police in July 2025 that the offender would be charged for sexual offences against minors, including offences at mosque premises. He had already been in remand since April 2024 and posed no further threat to the public. MUIS acted on this and issued an advisory in August 2025 to ensure that all mosques strengthened safeguards for minors, ensuring adequate closed-circuit television (CCTV) coverage and training staff to identify suspicious behaviour.

10. Subsequently, when more details were made available in August 2026 – just last month – MUIS investigated his activities more closely to find out how such harm could have happened. The offender was a regular congregant at the mosque. He gathered informally with small groups of youths in the main prayer hall. These were not religious classes that were approved or sanctioned by the mosque. It is quite common practice, as many Muslims know, to sit in the prayer hall and gather sometimes. So, it is not so easy to identify.

11. Under our regulations, religious classes must be conducted by teachers accredited under the Asatizah Recognition Scheme or ARS. The offender also posted religious content on social media. Through that online presence and his interactions with the victims at the mosque, they came to see him as someone they could trust for religious guidance.

12. What were, in fact, informal, unsanctioned interactions felt like religious classes to the victims. This was not a failing on their part. He cultivated that impression deliberately.

13. This case exposes a troubling matter. Someone with no formal authority can still build a following online and position himself as a trusted guide to young people seeking religious knowledge. That trust was then used against them to inflict harm on them. We cannot be complacent about this. In fact, we owe it to the victims and their families to learn from this incident and do something about it.

14. Our mosques already have measures in place – pre-employment staff screening, approval requirements for external religious classes. ARS-recognised asatizah are also subject to a Code of Ethics and accreditation every three years. So, they are screened, they are filtered, they are accredited.

15. Where concerns and allegations arise, MUIS will take action, including making Police reports and suspending ARS recognition where warranted. These safeguards matter. But rules alone are not enough. We want to build a shared sense of responsibility and partnership with our mosques, parents, children and volunteers.

16. Beyond these existing measures, I have asked MUIS to work with mosques, parents and the community to strengthen our safeguards. We want to be partners, not just regulators, in keeping our children safe. Our mosques must remain open and welcoming, while ensuring that every child, every parent, every congregant can worship and learn safely with confidence.

17. This means establishing a common safeguarding approach across mosques, across all our mosques, clearer reporting and escalation protocols, closer monitoring of informal gatherings involving minors, safeguarding awareness training for staff and volunteers, and periodic safeguarding checks. It also means partnering with parents, children and youths closely to equip our children to recognise inappropriate behaviour, understand personal boundaries and, more importantly, know who to turn to when something does not feel right. Their voices matter in this effort.

18. Some of these efforts are underway and I am grateful for the active involvement of our mosque boards, staff and volunteers. This incident does not diminish their good work over the years. But precisely because our mosques are sacred places of trust, learning and belonging, we must hold ourselves to a higher standard. We can do more together, as a community.

19. So, I will convene a committee to review and examine our safeguards across our religious institutions and propose measures to strengthen them. This is not a top-down exercise. It is a partnership with our mosques, asatizah and most importantly, our parents, children and youths, where we can listen and learn from best practices,build safe and open religious spaces. So, we want to create a balance. We want to keep mosques open and welcoming, but at the same time, keep them safe and safeguard our children.

20. The committee will report directly to me and the findings will be shared with the community. It will be led by two chairpersons who are respected by the community: Associate Professor Razwana Begum and Ustaz Fathurrahman Dawoed. I thank them for stepping up to take on this prominent role. They will be putting together their team, and we will announce the composition and terms of reference of the committee shortly.

21. The committee will focus on two areas.

    1. First, whether existing safeguards to protect minors, not just in our mosques but also in our religious schools, can be further strengthened.

    2. Second, how the community, particularly children and youths, can access religious guidance safely – covering oversight of both formal and informal religious instructions, and emerging risks including online influence.

22. In doing this, we will strike a balance. We will strengthen safeguards to keep our children and youths safe, while preserving the openness and welcoming spirit of our religious institutions.

23. Mr Speaker, our mosques occupy a position of trust. Parents send their children there because they believe it is a safe and sacred space. That trust is foundational to what our mosques are. We will look hard at where we fell short, strengthen our safeguards and act on the lessons from this case. Every child deserves to feel safe. Their well-being must always come first and that is a responsibility that we will not take lightly. Mr Speaker, in Malay, please.

24. Tuan Speaker, apa yang berlaku telah menimbulkan kemarahan dan kesedihan yang mendalam dalam kalangan masyarakat kita. Saya sendiri turut marah dan dukacita atas kejadian ini. 

25. Kita tidak boleh memandang rendah perkara ini. Saya telah meminta MUIS untuk bekerjasama dengan pihak masjid, ibu bapa, dan masyarakat untuk ketatkan lagi langkah-langkah keselamatan yang sedia ada. Matlamatnya ialah untuk memastikan masjid kita benar-benar selamat, kekal mesra dan terbuka – agar setiap kanak-kanak, ibu bapa, dan juga para jemaah dapat beribadah dan menuntut ilmu dengan penuh keyakinan.

26. Institusi masjid kita memainkan peranan yang amat penting dalam kehidupan masyarakat kita. Justeru, kita harus sentiasa berusaha memberikan yang terbaik untuk masjid dan para jemaah kita. Saya akan tubuhkan sebuah jawatankuasa untuk meneliti secara menyeluruh langkah-langkah perlindungan institusi agama kita, mengenal pasti ruang yang boleh diperbaiki serta memberi cadangan untuk memperkukuh perlindungan yang sedia ada.

27. Usaha ini akan kita lakukan bersama – dengan masjid, para pemimpin masyarakat, ibu bapa, kanak-kanak serta belia – untuk berkongsi pandangan, belajar daripada amalan terbaik, dan membina ruang keagamaan yang benar-benar selamat dan terbuka.

28. Jawatankuasa ini akan melapor terus kepada saya. Ia akan dipimpin oleh Profesor Madya Razwana Begum dan Ustaz Fathurrahman Dawoed. Dapatan dan saranannya akan kami kongsi secara terbuka dengan masyarakat.

29. Tuan Speaker, masjid-masjid memegang amanah yang besar. Kepercayaan masyarakat terhadap masjid telah dibina dan dipupuk sejak sekian lama. Kepercayaan ini mesti kita jaga dan pertahankan.  

30. Kami akan mengambil iktibar daripada apa yang telah berlaku. Kami akan meneliti apa yang perlu diperbaiki, memperketat perlindungan sedia ada dan mengambil langkah-langkah yang sewajarnya. Setiap kanak-kanak berhak rasa selamat. Kesejahteraan mereka sentiasa harus diutamakan. Amanah ini akan kami pikul dengan penuh tanggungjawab, dan tidak sesekali akan kami ambil ringan. Terima kasih, Tuan Speaker.