TAHFIZ centres in the capital have until December 31 to register with the Federal Territories Islamic Religious Department (Jawi) and Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL).

Federal Territories Minister Khalid Abdul Samad said the move to make it mandatory for tahfiz centres to be registered is to ensure students’ safety, welfare and education.

“Reports that unregistered tahfiz centres in Kuala Lumpur will soon be closed are inaccurate. The ministry will work with Jawi to have tahfiz centres registered,” he said in a statement yesterday.

He said DBKL, in collaboration with the Fire and Rescue Department and Tenaga Nasional Bhd, will conduct checks on tahfiz centres, to ensure they meet safety requirements, and Jawi will look into the curriculum.

On Tuesday, Khalid ordered a Kepong tahfiz centre, where nine students were allegedly sodomised by their principal, to be closed, as it was found to be operating without a permit.

The principal was recently charged in court.

It was reported that the Perak government will not take “drastic” steps, such as closing down private tahfiz centres not registered with the Perak Islamic Religious Department (JAIPk).

State Islamic Education, Rural and Entrepreneur Development Committee chairman Asmuni Awi said his department will “make the right decision”, as well as give a time frame for these centres to submit registration applications.

“I will discuss with JAIPk. We will give a reasonable period of time for unregistered religious schools to submit their applications,” he told a press conference at the Perak Darul Ridzuan Building in Ipoh yesterday.

Terengganu Shariah Implementation, Education and Higher Education Committee chairman Satiful Bahri Mamat said closing down a tahfiz centre because of one person’s offence is “tyrannical”, and that only the offender should be punished.

He said the move can be likened to burning the mosquito net because of a single mosquito.

He was asked to comment on a statement by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa, who said the government will not hesitate to shut down tahfiz centres whose principals or owners are found guilty of sexual harassment and other such cases. – Bernama, September 27, 2018.