Proposed changes to Muslim law include simpler divorce process, strengthened welfare of children

The number of Muslim marriages fell in 2025, from 5,184 in 2024 to 5,006 in 2025, while the number of divorces rose from 1,440 in 2024 to 1,658 in 2025.

Published Oct 06, 2026, 12:45 PM

Updated Oct 06, 2026, 12:45 PM

Proposed amendments to the Administration of Muslim Law Act (AMLA) aim to speed up some Muslim divorce processes by allowing couples to proceed without a marital conciliator if both agree and all issues are settled.

The amendments also enhance the Syariah Court’s powers on child welfare, overseas divorces, and marriage application rules for foreigners.

Singapore College of Islamic Studies (SCIS) will be legally recognised as a degree-awarding institution, with governance and funding shared between the government and the Muslim community to ensure accountability and independence.

SINGAPORE - Some Muslim couples who have agreed to divorce and settled all related issues could complete the process at least six months faster under proposed changes to Muslim law.

The changes, which simplify the procedural requirements of divorce proceedings, will allow couples to conclude their divorce amicably earlier , avoiding the emotional and psychological strain of unnecessarily prolonged proceedings, said the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) said on Oct 6.

Currently, couples that seek to end a Muslim marriage through talak tafwidh, which refers to a husband delegating the pronouncement of divorce to his wife, would have to appoint a hakam, or marital conciliator.

The proposed amendments to the Administration of Muslim Law Act (AMLA) will give the Syariah Court the ability to allow the couple to proceed without a hakam if both parties agree to dissolve the marriage and the court considers the marital conciliator unnecessary.

MCCY said with the new amendment, couples who have also settled all related issues could potentially save six months or more by concluding the case at mediation without hakam proceedings, pre-trial conferences and hearings. Each party could also save $172 in hakam appointment and court-order fees.

These were among a wide range of amendments to Muslim law tabled in Parliament on Oct 6 for further debate at a later date, following a public consultation from May 25 to June 22. The changes cover areas such as marriage and divorce and a governance framework for an upcoming Islamic studies college.

Another proposed change will give the Syariah Court the discretion to waive the requirement for sworn testimony from two witnesses in suitable applications for fasakh, which refers to an annulment of a Muslim marriage on grounds such as harm or breach of marital obligations.

Such breaches could include a husband failing or neglecting to provide financial support to his wife for a period of time, if the husband goes missing or is uncontactable, or if the husband inflicts cruelty or abuse on his wife.

The requirement for witnesses could be waived if the grounds can be proved through other means, including documentary evidence. MCCY said the evidence must still satisfy the court that the grounds for divorce have been established and are valid under Muslim law.

Another amendment will allow Muslim couples who divorced overseas to settle more of their financial and child-related matters in a single court.

Currently, they may have to go to the High Court for the division of matrimonial assets, the Syariah Court for matters such as nafkah iddah (financial maintenance given to the wife during the waiting period of a divorce) and mutaah ( conciliatory or consolatory gift), and the Family Justice Courts for child-related orders.

The amendment will empower the Syariah Court to make both financial and child-related orders in cases where either party is based in Singapore or has lived here for at least three years.

Parties must first obtain permission from the court which will consider if Singapore is the appropriate forum.

Two other amendments were proposed on the welfare of children in Muslim divorces.

AMLA will expressly state that a child’s welfare is the Syariah Court’s paramount consideration, formalising existing practice.

The court will also be explicitly empowered to allow a child subject to a custody, care or control order to relocate overseas, or to prevent a parent from taking a child out of Singapore.

MCCY said the powers respond to demand arising from increasing transnational marriages and parents relocating overseas for work, including disputes where divorcing parents cannot agree on whether their child should move abroad.

The provisions are intended to give Muslim families protections similar to those available under the Women’s Charter.

For Muslim marriages where at least one party is a foreigner , there will be a minimum period of physical presence in Singapore before the marriage application is made.

MCCY said the intended period is 31 days, in line with civil marriages under the Women’s Charter. The requirement is intended to ensure foreigners marrying here have an established presence or meaningful connection to Singapore.

The Registry of Muslim Marriages will be able to waive the requirement where there are good reasons to do so.

The other amendments concern the Singapore College of Islamic Studies which will welcome its first cohort of students in 2028.

As Singapore’s first Islamic college, it will be legally recognised and empowered to award degrees, diplomas and certificates in tertiary religious education.

The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) will be able to recognise the SCIS Islamic Studies degree for the recruitment and employment of asatizah, or Islamic religious teachers. Graduates will not have to take the postgraduate certificate in Islam in contemporary societies, which overseas Islamic studies graduates currently have to undergo before they can be recognised.

Oversight of SCIS will also become one of MUIS’ statutory functions. MUIS will be able to direct the college’s provision of tertiary religious education and provide funding from community sources like zakat, wakaf and the Mosque Building and Mendaki Fund.

The Government will fund the non-religious components of SCIS’ programme and infrastructure, like its social sciences programmes, while the Muslim community will fund its religious education components.

The Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs will also oversee selected administrative and financial matters at SCIS, including its accountability and quality-assurance frameworks, appointments to its Board of Governors, financial records and key decisions such as amendments to its constitution.

The ministry said the arrangements are intended to ensure accountability as SCIS receives both government and community funds, while maintaining its academic independence and scholarly rigour.

Divorces, separations, annulments

Singapore Parliament

2025年穆斯林结婚人数从2024年的5184对下降到2025年的5006对，而离婚人数从2024年的1440对上升到2025年的1658对。

发布于 2026 年 10 月 6 日下午 12:45

更新于2026年10月6日下午12:45

《穆斯林法律管理法》（AMLA）拟议修正案旨在加快一些穆斯林离婚程序，允许夫妻双方同意且所有问题都已解决的情况下，无需婚姻调解员即可进行离婚。

这些修正案还加强了伊斯兰教法庭在儿童福利、海外离婚和外国人结婚申请规则方面的权力。

新加坡伊斯兰研究学院（SCIS）将获得法律认可，成为一所授予学位的机构，其治理和资金由政府和穆斯林社区共同承担，以确保问责制和独立性。

新加坡——根据拟议的穆斯林法律修改方案，一些已同意离婚并解决所有相关问题的穆斯林夫妇，离婚程序至少可以提前六个月完成。

文化、社区及青年部（MCCY）于10月6日表示，这些改革简化了离婚诉讼的程序要求，将使夫妻能够更早地友好地结束离婚，避免不必要的漫长诉讼带来的情感和心理压力。

目前，想要通过 talak tafwidh（指丈夫将宣布离婚的权力​​委托给妻子）结束穆斯林婚姻的夫妇，必须指定一名 hakam，即婚姻调解员。

拟议的《穆斯林法律管理法》（AMLA）修正案将赋予伊斯兰教法庭权力，允许夫妻双方在没有婚姻调解员的情况下解除婚姻关系，前提是双方同意解除婚姻关系，并且法庭认为婚姻调解员没有必要。

文化、社区及青年部表示，根据这项新修正案，已解决所有相关问题的夫妇可以通过调解结案，无需经过调解员程序、庭前会议和听证会，从而节省六个月或更长时间。双方还可以节省每人172新元的调解员委任费和法院命令费。

这些修正案是10月6日提交议会的一系列穆斯林法律修正案中的一部分，将在稍后进行进一步辩论。此前，这些修正案于5月25日至6月22日进行了公众咨询。这些修改涵盖了婚姻和离婚等领域，以及即将成立的伊斯兰研究学院的治理框架。

另一项拟议的变更将赋予伊斯兰教法庭酌情权，在适当的法萨赫（fasakh）申请中，可以免除两名证人宣誓作证的要求。法萨赫是指以伤害或违反婚姻义务等理由宣告穆斯林婚姻无效。

此类违约行为可能包括丈夫在一段时间内未能或疏忽向妻子提供经济支持，丈夫失踪或无法联系，或者丈夫对妻子实施虐待或伤害。

如果离婚理由能够通过其他方式（包括书面证据）得到证明，则可以免除证人出庭的要求。文化、社区及青年部表示，证据仍须让法庭确信离婚理由成立，且符合伊斯兰教法。

另一项修正案将允许在海外离婚的穆斯林夫妇在同一法院解决更多财务和子女相关事宜。

目前，他们可能需要向高等法院申请分割婚姻财产，向伊斯兰教法庭申请诸如 nafkah iddah（离婚等待期间给予妻子的经济赡养费）和 mutaah（和解或安慰性赠与）等事项，以及向家庭司法法院申请与子女相关的命令。

该修正案将赋予伊斯兰教法庭权力，在一方当事人居住在新加坡或已在新加坡居住至少三年的情况下，作出有关财务和子女抚养权的裁决。

当事人必须首先获得法院的许可，法院将考虑新加坡是否是合适的诉讼地。

另外还提​​出了两项​​关于穆斯林离婚中儿童福利的修正案。

《反洗钱法》将明确规定，儿童福利是伊斯兰教法庭的首要考虑因素，从而使现有做法正式化。

法院还将明确授权允许受监护、照顾或控制令约束的儿童移居海外，或阻止父母将孩子带出新加坡。

文化、社区及青年部表示，这些权力是为了应对跨国婚姻增多和父母因工作移居海外所带来的需求，包括离婚父母无法就子女是否应该移居国外达成一致的纠纷。

这些条款旨在为穆斯林家庭提供与《妇女宪章》下类似的保护。

对于至少一方为外国人的穆斯林婚姻，在提交结婚申请之前，双方必须在新加坡实际居住至少一段时间。

文化、社区及青年部表示，拟定的等待期为31天，与《妇女宪章》规定的民事婚姻一致。此项要求旨在确保在新加坡结婚的外国人已在新加坡定居或与新加坡有实质性联系。

如有正当理由，穆斯林婚姻登记处可以豁免此项要求。

其他修订涉及新加坡伊斯兰研究学院，该学院将于 2028 年迎来首批学生。

作为新加坡第一所伊斯兰学院，它将获得法律认可和授权，颁发高等宗教教育学位、文凭和证书。

新加坡伊斯兰宗教理事会（MUIS）将认可新加坡伊斯兰研究学院（SCIS）的伊斯兰研究学位，并将其用于招聘和聘用伊斯兰教宗教教师（asatizah）。毕业生无需像海外伊斯兰研究毕业生那样，在获得认可前修读当代社会伊斯兰教研究生证书课程。

对SCIS的监督也将成为MUIS的法定职能之一。MUIS将能够指导该学院提供高等宗教教育，并从社区来源（如天课、瓦克夫、清真寺建设基金和门达基基金）提供资金。

政府将资助 SCIS 项目和基础设施中的非宗教部分，例如其社会科学项目，而穆斯林社区将资助其宗教教育部分。

负责穆斯林事务的部长还将监督SCIS的部分行政和财务事宜，包括其问责制和质量保证框架、理事会成员的任命、财务记录以及诸如修改章程等关键决策。

该部表示，这些安排旨在确保SCIS在接受政府和社区资金的同时，保持其学术独立性和学术严谨性，从而确保问责制。

离婚、分居、婚姻无效

新加坡国会