PRINTING OF QUR’ANIC TEXTS (AMENDMENT) ACT 2023

This Act comes into operation on a date to be appointed by the Minister by notification in the Gazette.

Amendment of section 2

in the definition of “Qur’anic material”, by inserting after the words “any Qur’anic Verse,” the words “whether in

Arabic writing or Braille,”; and

in the definition of “Qur’anic text”, by inserting after the words “or any part thereof” the words “, whether in Arabic writing or Braille,”.

PRINTING OF QUR’ANIC TEXTS (AMENDMENT)

ACT 2023

Amendment of section 3

in subsections (2) and (3), by substituting for the words

“and Labuan” the words “, Labuan and Putrajaya”;

by substituting for subsection (4) the following subsection:

“(4)  Each appointed member shall serve for a term not exceeding three years and shall be eligible for reappointment.”; and

by inserting after subsection (4) the following subsection:

“(4a) A member of the Lembaga may, at any time, resign from his office by giving a written notice to the

Lembaga and the Lembaga shall obtain the consent of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong or the respective Rulers, as the case may be.”.

New section 3a

When attending the meeting of the Lembaga, an alternate member shall, for all purposes, be deemed to be a member of the Lembaga.

An alternate member may, at any time, resign from his office by giving a written notice to the Lembaga and the Lembaga shall obtain the consent of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong or the respective Rulers, as the case may be.

Printing of Qur’anic Texts (Amendment)

An alternate member shall, unless he sooner resigns under subsection (3) or his appointment is sooner revoked, cease to be an alternate member when the member in respect of whom he is an alternate member ceases to be a member of the Lembaga.”.

Amendment of section 5

in subsection (6), by substituting for the words “ten thousand ringgit or to imprisonment not exceeding three years”

the words “fifty thousand ringgit or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years”; and

in subsection (7), by substituting for the words

“five thousand ringgit or to imprisonment not exceeding one year” the words “fifty thousand ringgit or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years”.

Amendment of section 6

in subsection (1), by inserting after the word “correct”

the words “and in accordance with the writing method determined by the Lembaga”; and

in subsection (3), by substituting for the words “ten thousand ringgit or to imprisonment not exceeding three years”

the words “fifty thousand ringgit or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years”.

Amendment of section 7

in subsection (1), by inserting after the word “correct”

the words “and in accordance with the writing method determined by the Lembaga”; and

in subsection (2), by substituting for the words “ten thousand ringgit or to imprisonment not exceeding three years”

the words “fifty thousand ringgit or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years”.

New sections 7a and 7b

Any Qur’anic text withheld under subsection (1) shall, as soon as practicable, be delivered to the Lembaga and be examined by the Lembaga.

Where the Lembaga certify that the Qur’anic text—

Where the person from whom the Qur’anic text was withheld fails to claim or collect the Qur’anic text within six months from the date of the notice under paragraph (3)(a) or fails to return the Qur’anic text to the sender outside Malaysia within three months from the date of the notice under paragraph (3)(b), as the case may be, the Qur’anic text shall be disposed of in any manner the Lembaga thinks fit.

Withholding delivery of imported Qur’anic material 7b.  (1)  Any police officer not below the rank of Inspector or any public officer authorized in writing by the Islamic

Religious Council of any State or Federal Territory, may withhold the delivery of any imported Qur’anic material if he has reasonable cause to believe that it contains any error or it is not in accordance with the writing method determined by the Lembaga in respect of the Qur’anic Verses contained in the Qur’anic material.

Any Qur’anic material withheld under subsection (1)

shall, as soon as practicable, be delivered to the Lembaga and be examined by the Lembaga.

Where the Lembaga certify that the Qur’anic material—

Where the person from whom the Qur’anic material was withheld fails to claim or collect the Qur’anic material within six months from the date of the notice under paragraph (3)(a)

or fails to return the Qur’anic material to the sender outside

Malaysia within three months of the notice under paragraph (3)(b), as the case may be, the Qur’anic material shall be disposed of in any manner as the Lembaga thinks fit.”.

Amendment of section 8

by substituting for the words “twenty thousand ringgit”

the words “fifty thousand ringgit”; and

in the English language text, by inserting after the word

“imprisonment” the words “for a term”.

Amendment of section 9

by substituting for the words “twenty thousand ringgit”

the words “fifty thousand ringgit”; and

in the English language text, by inserting after the word

“imprisonment” the words “for a term”.

Amendment of section 10

in subsection (1), in the national language text, by deleting the words “atau rakaman Al-Qur’an” and “atau rakaman”;

and

in subsection (2), by substituting for the words

“two thousand ringgit or to imprisonment not exceeding six months” the words “fifty thousand ringgit or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years”.

Printing of Qur’anic Texts (Amendment)

9

Amendment of section 11

in the shoulder note, by inserting after the word “Printing”

the words “, distribution and possession”;

by substituting for subsection (1) the following subsection:

“(1)  No person shall print, publish, import, sell, offer for sale, distribute, or has in his possession, custody or control for the purpose of sale or distribution, any

Qur’anic text or Qur’anic material which contains any error or is not in accordance with the writing method determined by the Lembaga in respect of the

Qur’anic Verses contained in the Qur’anic text or

Qur’anic material.”; and

in subsection (2)—

by substituting for the words “twenty thousand ringgit” the words “fifty thousand ringgit”; and

For the purposes of this Act, any public officer authorized in writing by the Islamic Religious Council of any State or Federal Territory, shall have all the powers of a police officer of whatever rank as provided for in the

Criminal Procedure Code [Act 593] in relation to police investigation in seizable cases, and such powers shall be in addition to the powers provided for in this Act and not in derogation thereof.”.

Amendment of section 15

in subsection (1)—

by substituting for the words “and detain”

the words “, detain and search”; and

in subsections (2), (3) and (4), by inserting after the words “publication,” the words “importation,”.

Printing of Qur’anic Texts (Amendment)

11

Amendment of section 18

in paragraph (a), by inserting after the word “correct”

the words “and in accordance with the writing method determined by the Lembaga”; and

in paragraph (b), by inserting after the words “any error”

the words “or that it is not in accordance with the writing method determined by the Lembaga”.

New section 20a

any offence under this Act or any regulations made thereunder, as an offence which may be compounded; and

the method and procedure for compounding such offence.

The Chairman of the Lembaga or any public officer authorized in writing by the Chairman of the Lembaga may, with the consent in writing of the Public Prosecutor, at any time before a charge is being instituted, compound any offence prescribed as an offence which may be compounded under this Act by making a written offer to the person suspected to have committed the offence to compound the offence upon payment to the Chairman of the Lembaga of an amount of money not exceeding fifty per centum of the amount of maximum fine for that offence within such time as may be specified in the written offer.

An offer under subsection (2) may be made at any time after the offence has been committed but before any prosecution for it has been instituted.

If the amount specified in the offer is not paid within the time specified in the offer or such extended time as the Chairman of the Lembaga may grant, prosecution for the offence may be instituted at any time after that against the person to whom the offer was made.

Where an offence has been compounded under subsection (2)—

All moneys received by the Chairman of Lembaga under this section shall be paid into and form part of the Federal Consolidated Fund.”.

New sections 21a and 21b