SINGAPORE — November 4, 2026
Singapore is moving ahead with major changes to its Muslim law framework, with proposed amendments to the Administration of Muslim Law Act (AMLA) set to recognise the country’s first Islamic college, streamline selected divorce procedures and strengthen the legal protection of children.
Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Zaqy Mohamad outlined the measures during the Bill’s Second Reading in Parliament on November 3.
The proposals cover two important areas: the future of Islamic higher education in Singapore and the way Muslim marriages, divorces and family disputes are handled.
The Singapore College of Islamic Studies (SCIS) is expected to welcome its first students in 2028. Meanwhile, the proposed divorce-related changes would give the Syariah Court greater flexibility in certain proceedings and explicitly establish children’s welfare as its paramount consideration in decisions involving them.
However, the Government has stressed that the changes are not intended to encourage divorce or lower the legal requirements for ending a Muslim marriage. Instead, the objective is to remove unnecessary procedural burdens while preserving opportunities for reconciliation and strengthening protections for families.
Singapore’s First Islamic College Set to Welcome Students in 2028
One of the most significant parts of the AMLA amendments is the formal recognition of the Singapore College of Islamic Studies.
The institution is intended to develop future Islamic religious leaders, known as asatizah, who are equipped with strong religious foundations and a deeper understanding of Singapore’s diverse society.
SCIS will offer an undergraduate degree in Islamic Studies, alongside elective modules in areas such as counselling, social work and psychology.
This interdisciplinary approach is intended to prepare graduates for responsibilities beyond traditional religious teaching, including opportunities in social services, family law and Islamic finance.
Students will also have opportunities for overseas immersion at established Islamic institutions, allowing them to gain exposure to international scholarship while developing an understanding of Singapore’s local context.
The college has established partnerships with Dar al-Ifta in Egypt, the University of Jordan, Al-Qarawiyyin University in Morocco and the Singapore University of Social Sciences.
The proposed amendments will give SCIS the legal recognition and authority to award degrees, diplomas and certificates in tertiary religious education.
MUIS to Oversee the College While Maintaining Academic Independence
The proposed law will formally make the governance and oversight of SCIS part of the statutory functions of the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS).
The arrangement is intended to provide institutional accountability while allowing the college to retain autonomy over its academic direction, administration and internal policies.
The Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs will also have oversight of selected administrative and financial matters.
These responsibilities include access to financial records, appointments to the Board of Governors and approval of important decisions, such as changes to the college’s constitution.
An advisory panel comprising scholars and leaders from international Islamic institutions and local universities will also provide guidance on global education trends and research opportunities.
The funding structure is expected to involve government support for a significant proportion of the college’s non-religious components, including social sciences modules and campus infrastructure.
MUIS may also provide support through community funds such as zakat and wakaf, subject to the applicable requirements. Funding may also come from the Mosque Building and MENDAKI Fund (MBMF), in accordance with its governing rules.
The proposed framework seeks to balance public accountability, community support and academic independence.
Muslim Divorce Procedures Could Become Less Complicated
Beyond the establishment of SCIS, the amendments address procedures that Muslim couples may encounter when seeking a divorce through the Syariah Court.
Zaqy said the Government wants to reduce unnecessary administrative requirements and avoid adding further difficulties to families already experiencing marital breakdown.
One proposed change concerns talak tafwidh, a form of Muslim divorce in which a husband delegates the right to pronounce divorce to his wife.
Under the proposed amendment, couples who agree to end their marriage through talak tafwidh will no longer need to first appoint hakam, or marital conciliators.
The change could save couples at least six months in suitable cases where both parties have agreed on the divorce and all related matters.
They could also avoid the hakam appointment and court-order fees, amounting to S$172 per party.
The proposed adjustment is intended to remove an additional procedural step where reconciliation is no longer possible and the parties have already reached an agreement.
It does not mean that every Muslim divorce will automatically become faster or that the court will approve an application without examining the relevant requirements.
Syariah Court May Waive Two-Witness Requirement in Certain Cases
Another proposed change concerns fasakh, which refers to the annulment of a Muslim marriage due to harm or a breach of marital obligations.
Under the current procedural framework, certain fasakh applications require sworn testimony from two witnesses.
The amendments would give the Syariah Court discretion to waive this requirement in suitable cases where the grounds for divorce can be established through other evidence.
This could include documentary records or circumstances in which obtaining two witnesses would be impractical or cause further hardship to the applicant.
However, the court must still be satisfied that the grounds for divorce have been properly proven and are valid under Muslim law.
The proposed change is therefore about flexibility in how evidence may be presented, rather than removing the legal basis required for a fasakh application.
Overseas Muslim Divorces Could Be Handled More Efficiently
The amendments also seek to reduce the difficulties faced by Muslim families who obtain a divorce overseas but need to settle financial and child-related matters in Singapore.
Under the proposed framework, eligible couples could apply to the Syariah Court for financial orders and child-related orders following a foreign Muslim divorce.
These matters may include the division of matrimonial property, child custody, care and control, and access arrangements.
Currently, families may have to approach different courts to resolve separate issues arising from an overseas divorce.
The proposed changes would allow eligible applicants to seek more of these orders through the Syariah Court, potentially reducing the time, costs and administrative burden involved.
However, the court’s authority would remain subject to safeguards.
At least one party must be domiciled in Singapore or have lived here for at least three years before the application. Applicants must also obtain the Syariah Court’s permission, and the court will consider whether Singapore is the most appropriate jurisdiction to hear the matter.
The proposal is intended to make the process more coordinated without removing the court’s responsibility to determine whether it should hear each case.
Children’s Welfare to Become the Syariah Court’s Paramount Consideration
One of the most important family-related changes would explicitly establish that a child’s welfare is the Syariah Court’s paramount consideration in matters involving children.
Zaqy said the amendment reflects principles already followed by the court and existing principles under Muslim law.
The proposed provision would make that priority clear in the legislation.
The court would also receive formal powers to make orders allowing or preventing a child from being relocated outside Singapore.
This is particularly relevant to families involving international marriages, overseas employment and parents who may disagree about where their children should live after separation.
For example, the court could consider whether a proposed move overseas would affect a child’s education, stability and relationship with both parents.
It could also prevent a parent from taking a child out of Singapore where the circumstances justify such an order.
The objective is to ensure that children receive legal protection in Muslim family proceedings comparable to safeguards available under relevant provisions of the Women’s Charter.
The proposal recognises that disagreements between parents should not overshadow the needs and interests of their children.
New Minimum Stay Requirement for Certain Muslim Marriage Applications
The proposed AMLA changes also include a new requirement for some couples intending to marry under Muslim law in Singapore.
Where at least one party is neither a Singapore citizen nor a permanent resident, a minimum period of physical presence in Singapore will be required before the marriage application can be made.
The intended minimum period is 31 days, aligning the requirement with the corresponding rule for civil marriages under the Women’s Charter.
Zaqy clarified that the requirement applies even if only one person in the couple is neither a citizen nor a permanent resident.
Only one party needs to satisfy the minimum period of stay.
The Registry of Muslim Marriages may waive the requirement in appropriate circumstances.
The Government says the measure is intended to ensure that foreigners marrying in Singapore have an established presence or meaningful connection to the country.
Reconciliation Remains Part of the Divorce Process
Despite the proposed procedural changes, the Government has emphasised that reconciliation remains an important part of Singapore’s approach to Muslim marriage and divorce.
Since 2018, parties have been required to attend the Syariah Court’s Marriage Counselling Programme before filing for divorce.
The programme provides an opportunity for couples to explore reconciliation or, where the marriage cannot be sustained, work towards a more amicable separation.
The AMLA amendments do not remove this requirement.
Instead, they seek to reduce unnecessary steps after reconciliation is no longer possible, while ensuring that the court continues to apply the relevant requirements under Muslim law.
The reforms also build on earlier initiatives, including the introduction of therapeutic specialist services in 2022, the Child Representative Scheme in 2023 and a co-mediation pilot in 2025.
Stronger Safeguards for Children in Muslim Religious Settings
The proposed AMLA reforms come amid wider efforts to strengthen trust, accountability and child protection across Singapore’s Muslim institutions.
MUIS has been developing stronger safeguarding arrangements for mosques and religious education settings, including clearer reporting procedures, staff training and closer attention to informal religious activities involving young people.
A committee formed in September 2026 is reviewing how institutions can identify concerns earlier and improve safeguards for children and teenagers.
Separately, mosque-sector initiatives announced in October included stronger religious guidance, a proposed Islamic Spiritual Care and Guidance framework and expanded family support.
Although these initiatives address different areas, they share a broader objective: ensuring that religious institutions and family-related services provide appropriate support, accountability and protection for the community.
What the AMLA Amendments Could Mean for Singapore’s Muslim Community
The proposed changes cover more than the establishment of a new educational institution.
For students and future religious leaders, SCIS would provide a local pathway into higher Islamic education while connecting them with international scholarship and opportunities in other professional fields.
For Muslim couples, selected divorce procedures could become less burdensome when both parties have reached agreement or when alternative evidence can adequately establish the grounds for an application.
For parents, the proposed changes would give the Syariah Court clearer authority to address overseas relocation disputes and make decisions centred on children’s welfare.
For families who have divorced overseas, the reforms could also reduce the need to navigate multiple court systems when seeking financial and child-related orders in Singapore.
However, these remain proposed legislative changes. Their final legal effect will depend on the parliamentary process and the commencement of the amendments.
A Major Update to Islamic Education and Family Law
Singapore’s proposed AMLA amendments represent a broad effort to modernise the country’s Muslim institutional and family-law framework.
The recognition of SCIS would establish a new pathway for Islamic higher education, while the proposed divorce-related changes seek to reduce unnecessary procedural burdens and strengthen protections for children.
The Government has made clear that simplifying selected procedures does not mean lowering the standards for divorce or weakening the importance of marriage.
Instead, the reforms aim to make the legal process more responsive to families’ circumstances while keeping children’s welfare at the centre of decisions that affect them.
With SCIS preparing for its first intake in 2028 and the proposed legal changes moving through Parliament, the next stage will determine how these reforms are translated into practice.
For Singapore’s Muslim community, the changes could shape the future of religious education, family justice and institutional accountability for years to come.
