Perlis State Assembly Passes Muslim Adoption Enactment Bill 2025

KANGAR, Dec 11 (Bernama) -- The Perlis State Legislative Assembly today passed the Muslim Adoption Enactment (Perlis) Bill 2025 without debate.

Perlis Menteri Besar Mohd Shukri Ramli said the enactment empowered the Syariah High Court in Perlis to issue adoption orders after considering factors such as the consent of the mother, father and child, the age and relationship of the applicant to the child, and the child’s welfare.

“This enactment also outlines the procedures and conditions for adoption to protect the rights and welfare of the child. The purpose of this Bill is to provide provisions for the adoption of Muslims, the registration of adoptions, and matters related to it,” he said when tabling the Bill at the state assembly sitting held at the Seri Putra Complex here today.

Mohd Shukri said the passing of the Bill was a historic achievement, positioning Perlis as the first state in Peninsular Malaysia to establish a special legal framework that holistically integrated Maqasid Syariah principles in adoption matters.

“This is to safeguard lineage purity (nasab) and lawful relationships, while ensuring protection of the child’s rights, property, and overall welfare, so that their future is safeguarded in line with religious requirements and current legal standards,” he said.

In a press conference after the sitting, he said the enactment provided clear legal authority to the Syariah High Court to hear and decide on applications for Muslim adoptions, which were previously limited under civil jurisdiction and not governed by specific Syariah legislation.

The implementation of the enactment offers a comprehensive solution to adoption issues within the Muslim community through four key benefits: resolving ‘mahram’ (lineage or relationship) issues through milk kinship (Rada’ah), ensuring property rights and child support, safeguarding the child through a guardian appointed by the court (Ad Litem), and establishing a proper and lawful registration process.

The Perlis state assembly also passed the State Expenditure Enactment Bill for 2026 (Perlis Budget 2026) in the same sitting.

The sitting was adjourned to a date to be announced later.

-- BERNAMA