Sabah first to pass Islamic Adoption Enactment
Published on: Friday, May 16, 2025
Published on: Fri, May 16, 2025 Text Size: The adoption process will begin with an evaluation by the Welfare Department, followed by proceedings in the Syariah Court and concluding with the issuance of an adoption certificate by the NRD. - Pic for illustration only. Kota Kinabalu: Sabah made history by becoming the first State in the country to pass the Islamic Adoption Enactment. State Chief Syarie Judge Datuk Ahadin Arinen said the Enactment, which was passed by the State Assembly at the end of 2024, would streamline the adoption process for Muslims. Previously, such adoptions were only guided by internal procedures established in 2005.
Advertisement 'This Enactment provides an avenue for Muslims to formally apply for child adoption through the Syariah Court, unlike before, where the process involved civil courts or native courts,' he told the media after paying a courtesy visit to Head of State Tun Musa Aman at Istana Seri Kinabalu. Ahadin said the Enactment involves three main agencies - the Syariah Court, the Sabah Social Welfare Department and the Sabah National Registration Department (NRD). 'The adoption process will begin with an evaluation by the Welfare Department, followed by proceedings in the Syariah Court and concluding with the issuance of an adoption certificate by the NRD. 'Among the key criteria outlined in the Enactment is that both the applicant and the adopted child must be Muslim and the process must comply with existing laws and national security policies. 'Although we didn't have a specific enactment before, we have been implementing this process since 2005 based on the 2006 General Guidelines and Procedures for Adoption in the Syariah Court, and we've handled more than 100 adoption cases annually,' he said. Ahadin also said Sabah has established its own Supreme Syariah Court, becoming the second State after Perak to set up the highest institution within the State's Syariah judicial structure. 'The establishment of the Supreme Syariah Court is in line with our efforts to strengthen the Syariah judicial system and provide the best justice for the Muslim community in Sabah. We are truly grateful to be a pioneering state in both of these initiatives,' he said. Also present during the visit were Senior Syariah High Court Judge of Sabah, Nawawi Diman; Syariah High Court Judges, Ade Rizal Pahlevi Mohd Zen and Taherah Tahir; Senior Judge of the Syariah Lower Court, Awang Jalimin Matiasin; Registrar of the Sabah Syariah Judiciary Department, Mohd Yusuf Nureddin; and Chief Syarie Judge's Research Officer Nooryasmensharini Abas. * Follow us on Instagram and join our Telegram and/or WhatsApp channel(s) for the latest news you don't want to miss. * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available.
Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
7 hours ago
- New Straits Times
DOSM elected to chair Asean statistics working group for 2026–2027
PUTRAJAYA: The Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) has been unanimously elected as chair of the Working Group on Data Sharing, Analysis, Dissemination and Communication of Statistics (WGDSA) for the 2026–2027 term. The decision was made at the 23rd Meeting of the WGDSA (WGDSA23), which began yesterday in Putrajaya. The two-day meeting brought together 18 delegates from Asean Member States (AMS) and the Asean Secretariat (Aseanstats), with Myanmar participating virtually. The gathering aimed to strengthen regional statistical cooperation, enhance data transparency and improve communication strategies under the ASEAN Community Statistical System (ACSS). Chief statistician and ACSS15 chairman, Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin, said in a statement today that the appointment reflected the continued trust of member states in Malaysia's active role in advancing the Asean statistical system. He reaffirmed Malaysia's commitment to fostering innovation, inclusivity and resilience in the regional statistical ecosystem, stressing the importance of accessible, reliable and timely statistics in supporting evidence-based policymaking and Asean's integration and development goals. "As we move forward together, it is our collective responsibility to ensure that statistics are communicated clearly, shared meaningfully and used effectively to support Asean's progress. "Malaysia, as Asean chair for 2025, remains committed to promoting statistical cooperation, capacity building and innovation across the region," he said. Discussions at the meeting focused on the implementation of the WGDSA Multi-Year Plan (MYP), expansion of the Asean Statistical Indicators – Consolidated Template (ASI-CT), integration of Application Programming Interfaces (API) for real-time data access, and increased statistical outreach through initiatives such as the Asean Virtual Learning Academy and targeted awareness programmes. Mohd Uzir said the meeting also discussed enhancements to the ASICT data collection template for indicators in areas such as micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), the manufacturing sector, inflation, population and employment. A key milestone of WGDSA23 was the presentation of Malaysia's preliminary 2025 Action Plan for the Awareness Initiative - an ACSS Annual Priority under the Asean Economic Community (AEC) reporting framework. "The initiative was previously endorsed by the Heads of National Statistical Offices (NSOs) at the 14th Session of the Asean Community Statistical System (ACSS14) in Laos. "As the lead country, Malaysia announced the formation of a dedicated Task Force on Statistical Awareness and Engagement under WGDSA to spearhead its implementation," he said. The outcomes of WGDSA23 will directly inform the ACSS Action Plan 2026–2030, aligned with the broader Asean Community's post-2025 vision, reinforcing the role of statistics in regional integration and policy development.
Daily Express
10 hours ago
- Daily Express
Mustapha open to friendly contests if seat talks fail
Published on: Wednesday, June 11, 2025 Published on: Wed, Jun 11, 2025 By: Mohamad Fadli, FMT Text Size: SERDANG: Sabah PKR chief Mustapha Sakmud ( pic ) says he is open to 'friendly contests' between allies if the ongoing negotiations over seat allocations ahead of the Sabah state election fail. Mustapha said PKR is working to prevent clashes between parties in the government coalition, and aiming for fair seat distribution without overlaps. Advertisement 'We're still negotiating and doing our best to avoid contests. The goal is fair allocation without duplication,' he said. 'But if talks break down, friendly contests are an option. It's common in politics.' He did not specify which parties are involved in the negotiations. Mustapha, the deputy higher education minister, was speaking to reporters at an event at Universiti Putra Malaysia here today. Sabah Umno treasurer Salleh Said Keruak yesterday suggested that overlapping seats be handled through friendly contests, while maintaining unity and a shared objective. He said this approach was better than allowing internal tensions or encouraging sponsored independent candidates. Mustapha said PKR's main priority was political stability, and warned that clashes at the state level could strain relationships within the federal government. 'I urge everyone to stay open-minded. There's no benefit in fighting among ourselves and risking division. 'We want unity to continue. Avoiding unnecessary contests can help reduce friction among parties,' he said. - FMT * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Sinar Daily
11 hours ago
- Sinar Daily
UPSI tragedy: Madani govt announces RM10,000 aid for each family of perished victims
Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil, who is Madani Government spokesperson said each injured victim will also receive RM5,000 in similar aid. 11 Jun 2025 05:37pm Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil, who is Madani Government spokesperson said each injured victim will also receive RM5,000 in similar aid. - Photo by Bernama KUALA LUMPUR - The Madani government will provide RM10,000 in financial aid to each family of the 15 Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) students who lost their lives in the tragic bus accident last Monday. Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil, who is Madani Government spokesperson said each injured victim will also receive RM5,000 in similar aid. He said the matter was announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim at the Cabinet meeting earlier today. The Madani government will provide RM10,000 in financial aid to each family of the 15 Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) students who lost their lives in the tragic bus accident last Monday. - Photo by Bernama "The Prime Minister has also directed the Attorney-General's Chambers to look into the legal aspects related to insurance claims for the victims involved," Fahmi told a press conference at Angkasapuri, which was also attended by Transport Minister Anthony Loke and Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi. The tragedy occurred early Monday morning when the bus carrying UPSI students overturned at KM53 on the East-West Highway near Tasik Banding, Gerik. Besides the 15 fatalities, 33 others were injured, including the bus driver and co-driver, as well as the driver and three passengers of a multi-purpose vehicle, a Perodua Alza, involved in the incident. - BERNAMA
