Section 2

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires —

“adopter” means a person authorised by this Act to adopt a child to be his adopted child;

“adoption” means to bring up, maintain and educate the child of another person like one’s own child without becoming a natural child of the adopter;

“child” means an unmarried person who has not attained the age of 18 years qamariah;

“Court” means the Syariah Subordinate Court, the Syariah High

Court or the Syariah Appeal Court, as the case may be, established under section 6(1) of the Syariah Courts Act (Chapter 184);

“guardian” means a person having the legal right as the guardian of the child according to law;

“Hukum Syara’” means the laws of any sect which the Court considers valid;

“Minister” means the Minister of Religious Affairs;

“nasab” means descent based on lawful blood relationship;

Islamic Adoption of Children 4

“parent” means the natural mother or father of the adopted child;

“relative” includes the brother, sister, grandparents on the side of the father and the mother, uncle on the side of the father and the mother and aunt on the side of the father and the mother whether by nasab or affinity;

“Syar’ie Judge” means a Syar’ie Judge appointed under sections 9(1), 10(1) and 11 of the Syariah Courts Act

(Chapter 184) and includes the Chief Syar’ie Judge;

“year qamariah” means a year according to the Islamic calendar.

All words and expressions used in this Act and not defined therein but defined in the Interpretation and General Clauses Act (Chapter 4)

shall have the same meanings respectively assigned thereto to the extent that they do not conflict with Hukum Syara’.

The Chief Syar'ie Judge may, with the approval of His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan, amend the Schedule.

References in this Act to the date of commencement of this Act are references to the date of commencement of the main substantive provisions of this Act.

Text in Malay language shall prevail.