PRINTING OF QUR'ANIC TEXTS ACT 1986

LAWS OF MALAYSIA ONLINE VERSION OF UPDATED TEXT OF REPRINT Act 326 PRINTING OF QUR’ANIC TEXTS ACT 1986 As at 1 September 2023 This text is ONLY AN UPDATED TEXT of the Printing of Qur’anic Texts Act 1986 by the Attorney General’s Chambers. Unless and until reprinted pursuant to the powers of the Commissioner of Law Revision under subsection 14(1) of the Revision of Laws Act 1968 [Act 1], this text is NOT AN AUTHENTIC TEXT. 2 PRINTING OF QUR’ANIC TEXTS ACT 1986 Date of Royal Assent … … … ... 7 May 1986 Date of publication in the Gazette … … … ... 15 May 1986 Latest amendment made by Act A1696 which came into operation on … … … ... 1 September 2023 PREVIOUS REPRINT First Reprint … … … … 2001 Second Reprint … … … 2006 3 LAWS OF MALAYSIA Act 326 PRINTING OF QUR’ANIC TEXTS ACT 1986 ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS Section 1. Short title and commencement 2. Interpretation 3. The Lembaga Pengawalan dan Pelesenan Pencetakan Al-Qur’an 3A. Alternate member 4. Extension of executive authority of States 5. Licence to print, etc., Qur’anic texts 6. Submission of final proof or original copy of Qur’anic text to the Lembaga 7. Imported Qur’anic texts 7A. Withholding delivery of imported Qur’anic text which is not certified 7B. Witholding delivery of imported Qur’anic material 8. Qur’anic texts to bear certain information 9. Qur’anic texts to be printed, as regards Qur’anic Verses, exactly as certified 10. One copy of Qur’anic text to be delivered to Lembaga and another kept 11. Waste material from printing of Qur’anic texts or Qur’anic material 12. Certifying of Qur’anic texts printed before commencement of Act 13. Control of sale, distribution and publication of Qur’anic texts 14. Printing, distribution and possession of Qur’anic texts or Qur’anic material containing errors 14A. Power to investigate 15. Forfeiture and disposal of Qur’anic texts or Qur’anic material 16. Mufti’s certificate to be conclusive proof 4 Undang-Undang Malaysia Act 326 Section 17. Power to seize, detain and search for unlawful Qur’anic texts or Qur’anic material 18. Examination and disposal of Qur’anic texts or Qur’anic material 19. Barring of action 20. Sanction for prosecution 20A. Compounding of offences 21. Presumption as to printer, etc. 21A. Public servant 21B. Application of Public Authorities Protection Act 1948 22. Corporations and firms 23. Liability of partners, directors, employees, etc. 24. Exemption 25. Regulations 26. Power to issue guidelines or directives 5 LAWS OF MALAYSIA Act 326 PRINTING OF QUR’ANIC TEXTS ACT 1986 An Act to regulate the printing, importation, sale, publication and distribution of Qur’anic texts and Qur’anic material and to provide for related matters. [1 January 1987, P.U. (B) 763/1986] BE IT ENACTED by the Seri Paduka Baginda Yang di-Pertuan Agong with the advice and consent of the Dewan Negara and Dewan Rakyat in Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows: Short title and commencement 1. This Act may be cited as the Printing of Qur’anic Texts Act 1986 and shall come into force on a date to be appointed by the Minister by notification in the Gazette. Interpretation 2. In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires — “correct” in respect of Qur’anic Verses includes being complete and correctly arranged, not only in themselves but also in the context of the Qur’anic text in question as a whole; and “incorrect” and “error” shall be construed accordingly; “document” means any matter expressed, described, or howsoever represented, upon any substance, material, thing or article, including any matter embodied in a disc, tape, film, sound track or other device whatsoever, by means of— 6 Laws of Malaysia ACT 326 (a) letters, figures, marks, symbols, signals, signs, or other forms of expression, description, or representation whatsoever; (b) any visual recording (whether of still or moving images); (c) any sound recording, or any electronic, magnetic, mechanical or other recording whatsoever and howsoever made, or any sounds, electronic impulses, or other data whatsoever; (d) a recording, or transmission, over a distance of any matter by any, or any combination, of the means mentioned in paragraph (a), (b) or (c), or by more than one of the means mentioned in paragraphs (a), (b), (c) and (d), intended to be used or which may be used for the purpose of expressing, describing, or howsoever representing, that matter; “Islamic Religious Council” means the authority, by whatever name called, established by or under any written law for the purpose, solely or besides other purposes, of advising the head of the religion of Islam in a State or Federal Territory in matters relating to the religion of Islam; “Lembaga” means the Lembaga Pengawalan dan Pelesenan Pencetakan Al-Qur’an established under subsection 3(1); “licence” means a licence issued under section 5; “Minister” and “Ministry” mean the Minister and Ministry responsible for the licensing of printing presses; “Mufti” means an official appointed to act as a Mufti for any State or Federal Territory under any written law relating to the administration of Islamic law; “printing” and expressions referring to printing include writing, lithography, typewriting, photography and other modes of representing or reproducing words or objects in visible form; Printing of Qur’anic Texts 7 “Qur’anic material” means any document containing any Qur’anic Verse, whether in Arabic writing or Braille, other than a “Qur’anic text’, as defined in this section; “Qur’anic text” means any document containing the complete Arabic text of the Qur’an or any part thereof, whether in Arabic writing or Braille, which contains one juzu’ or more with or without translation, or interpretation, as the case may be; “Qur’anic Verse” includes any part of any Qur’anic Verse in Arabic. The Lembaga Pengawalan dan Pelesenan Pencetakan Al-Qur’an 3. (1) For the purposes of this Act, there shall be a board to be known as the Lembaga Pengawalan dan Pelesenan Pencetakan Al- Qur’an. (2) The Lembaga shall consist of fifteen members, thirteen representing the thirteen States in Malaysia, one representing the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya, and one being the Director General of the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia of the Prime Minister’s Department. (3) The members for the States of Malacca, Penang, Sabah and Sarawak and for the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya shall be appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the members for the other States shall be appointed by the respective Rulers. (4) Each appointed member shall serve for a term not exceeding three years and shall be eligible for reappointment. (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. 8 Laws of Malaysia ACT 326 (5) The Lembaga shall, from time to time, elect a Chairman and a Deputy Chairman from among its members for such term as the Lembaga may decide. (6) The first Chairman and Deputy Chairman shall be elected at the first meeting of the Lembaga after the commencement of this Act, which meeting shall be convened by the Secretary General of the Ministry and chaired by him until the Chairman and Deputy Chairman are elected. (7) Subject to this section, the Lembaga shall regulate its own procedure. (8) The quorum for any meeting of the Lembaga shall be seven members present. (9) In exercising its functions under this Act, the Lembaga shall be subject to the control, supervision and direction of the Minister. (10) The Ministry shall provide the Lembaga with such staff, funds and other facilities as are necessary to enable it to carry out its functions under this Act. Alternate member 3A. (1) The Yang di-Pertuan Agong or the respective Rulers may, in respect of each member appointed under subsection (3), appoint an alternate member who may attend any meeting of the Lembaga when the member whom he is an alternate member is for any reason unable to attend. (2) When attending the meeting of the Lembaga, an alternate member shall, for all purposes, be deemed to be a member of the Lembaga. (3) 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 9 (4) 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. Extension of executive authority of States 4. For the avoidance of doubt it is hereby declared— (a) that where it appears, directly or by implication, that the executive authority of a State is extended to the administration of any provision of this Act, such extension is provided by virtue of Clause (4) of Article 80 of the Federal Constitution; and (b) that the conferment of powers and the imposition of duties made by this Act on any authority of the State is made by virtue of the said Article for the purpose of such extension. Licence to print, etc., Qur’anic texts 5. (1) No person shall print or assist in printing, or publish or assist in publishing, any Qur’anic text without a licence issued by the Lembaga, which licence the Lembaga may, at its absolute discretion, grant, refuse or revoke, or grant subject to conditions to be endorsed thereon. (2) A licence, once issued, shall continue to remain in force until revoked. (3) Without prejudice to subsection (4), where the Lembaga is satisfied that any person who has been issued with a licence has acted in contravention of this Act or any condition of the licence, it may, after giving such person an opportunity to show cause, revoke or suspend the licence without assigning any reason. (4) Where a person to whom a licence has been issued is charged with any offence under this Act or any regulations made thereunder, 10 Laws of Malaysia ACT 326 the licence issued to him shall forthwith be deemed suspended and upon his being found guilty of such offence, the court shall order revocation of the licence. (5) A licence issued under this section shall be in addition to any licence issued under any other written law relating to the licensing of printing presses. (6) Any person who contravenes the provision of subsection (1) commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding *fifty thousand ringgit or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years or to both. (7) Any person who fails to comply with or breaches any condition attached to the licence issued under this section commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding **fifty thousand ringgit or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years or to both. Submission of final proof or original copy of Qur’anic text to the Lembaga 6. (1) No person shall print or publish any Qur’anic text unless the final proof or original copy of the Qur’anic text, as the case may be, has been submitted to the Lembaga and the Lembaga has certified that the Qur’anic Verses contained in the final proof or original copy are correct and in accordance with the writing method determined by the Lembaga, whether as originally submitted or as corrected by the Lembaga. (2) The certificate issued under subsection (1) shall bear an appropriate reference number and shall specify the corrections, if any, made by the Lembaga to or in respect of the Qur’anic text. *NOTE—Previously “ten thousand ringgit or to imprisonment not exceeding three years”–see paragraph 5(a) Printing of Qur’anic Texts (Amendment) Act 2023 [Act A1696]. **NOTE—Previously “five thousand ringgit o