New Committee To Review Safeguards At Islamic Religious Institutions After Mosque Child Abuse Case

A new committee will be formed to review safeguards across Islamic religious institutions and propose measures to strengthen them following a child sexual abuse case involving a mosque, Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Zaqy Mohamad said in Parliament on 8 Sep 2026.

The committee will be led by Associate Professor Razwana Begum and Ustaz Fathurrahman Dawoed. Its composition and terms of reference will be announced later, and its findings will be shared with the community..

The government is also considering expanding criminal background screening for people working with children, including the possibility of voluntary checks for roles in currently unregulated sectors.

The announcement comes after Zaqy announced on 29 Aug that MUIS will introduce a common safeguarding framework across mosques to strengthen protections for children and youth.

The framework will clarify safeguarding responsibilities and reporting procedures, while strengthening training for mosque staff and volunteers on recognising and responding to abuse.

MUIS will also enhance oversight of informal gatherings involving minors and conduct regular safeguarding audits.

The move follows the case of a self-styled religious mentor who sexually abused two young brothers, with some of the offences taking place at a mosque. The man was convicted and sentenced in August.

The offender was not an accredited religious teacher, but a regular congregant at the mosque.

Zaqy said he had informally gathered with small groups of youths in the mosque's main prayer hall, although these were not religious classes approved or sanctioned by the mosque.

The case drew attention online, with former MP Amrin Amin calling for stronger safeguards to protect children from sexual abuse in a Facebook post.

He also said children should be taught that respecting authority foes not mean they should obey unquestioningly.

At the time of writing, existing safeguards at mosques include requiring religious teachers conducting formal classes to be recognised under the Asatizah Recognition Scheme, as well as registration requirements for external religious groups.

Mosques may also implement measures such as CCTV surveillance and access controls where appropriate.