Mualaf in Malaysia: Issues and administrative solutions by Selangor islamic religious council; mualaf di Malaysia: Isu dan penyelesaian pentadbiran oleh majlis agama islam Selangor

• Main Authors: Syed Ismail, Sharifah Hayaati, Mohamed Hamidi, Nurhidayah
• Format: Article
• Published: Penerbit Universiti Sains Malaysia 2022
• Subjects: H Social Sciences (General)
• Online Access: http://eprints.um.edu.my/43557/
• Institution: Universiti Malaya

Among the mualaf (new Muslim converts) issues faced by the Selangor Islamic Religious Council were issues of the struggle for the deceased’s body, religious status, determination of inheritance and the determination of religious status for children. However, the factors that led to the issue of the mualaf, particularly the administrative aspect, gets less attention than the legal aspect. This study analyses mualaf-related issues occurring between 2000 and 2015, factors that caused the issues and how the Selangor Islamic Religious Council administration solved them. The purpose of this analysis is to identify problems and to analyse the factors that caused the issue to persist as well as to highlight the administrative efforts by the Selangor Islamic Religious Council. This study was done using an interview method, literature survey and documentation analysis using the thematic method. The findings found that there were seven main issues concerning mualaf that were associated with registration administration, caused by administrative complications and refusal to amend their religious status. The administrative complications cover three aspects which are incomplete and insufficient registration information, registration not following the procedure and absence of systematic monitoring. Refusal to amend the religious status owes to their desire to keep secret their Islamic status. In overcoming this issue, the Selangor Islamic Religious Council has taken several measures including online registration through the IMualaf and manual registration, obtaining supporting documents from the mualaf, preparing standard operating procedure for mualaf registration and requiring the registration of Islamic status at the National Registration Department. As a result of this study, some improvements in mualaf registration procedures have been recommended. Such measures include conducting mualaf registration on a fully online basis, developing software that allows registration information to be easily accessed and monitored not only, by the Selangor Zakat Council but also by the National Registration Department. © Penerbit Universiti Sains Malaysia, 2022.