Hon. (Dr.) Hiniduma Sunil Senevi

Dr. Hiniduma Sunil Senevi responded to a fellow member's clarifications regarding a letter issued by Mr. M.R.M. Malik, then Director of the Department of Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs, characterising it as an administrative decision rather than a personal one. He noted that withdrawing the letter alone would be insufficient to resolve the underlying issue, as court proceedings have established that registration authority falls under the Waqf Board pursuant to the Wakf Act. He outlined existing registration options available — under the Wakf Act, Divisional Secretariat, Department of Social Services, or Registrar of Companies — and committed to consulting the Deputy Minister to explore the available legal avenues.

## Summary The Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs responded to three questions regarding Islamic charitable organisations registered with the Department of Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs. He confirmed that 435 (not 350) such organisations were deregistered on 24 September 2019 as an administrative decision based on prevailing circumstances at the time. The Minister clarified that the Department lacks the legal authority to re-register these organisations, citing a 2018 Trincomalee Civil Appellate High Court ruling that registration and regulation must instead proceed through the Waqf Board under Section 25 of the Muslim Mosques and Charitable Trusts (Wakf) Act No. 51 of 1956. As alternatives, qualifying organisations may also register under the Divisional Secretariat, Department of Social Services, or Registrar of Companies.

The Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs provided details regarding gold jewellery and items offered by devotees at the Ruhunu Maha Kataragama Dewalaya, totalling 3,201 grams. He confirmed that while the Basnayake Nilame had requested approval for unspecified action regarding these items, no approval had been granted. The items are currently secured under standard safeguarding procedures, split between Bank of Ceylon's Kataragama Branch (Safe No. 55) and the Dewalaya office safe, with no decisions taken to auction or otherwise dispose of them.

The Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs, Dr. Hiniduma Sunil Senevi, acknowledged that delays in an unspecified process have resulted from disagreements among multiple stakeholders, including the postponement of related meetings. He committed to continuing efforts to resolve these differences and bring the process to completion.

## Summary The Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs addressed the registration status of Islamic educational institutions, confirming that Qur'an madrasa registration is proceeding without difficulty, while the registration of Arabic colleges has faced delays since the 2019 Easter attacks due to increased scrutiny. Currently, 321 Arabic colleges are registered with 82 applications pending, with delays attributed to the interconnected drafting of a Madrasa Schools Bill and a revised syllabus, which must be harmonised before either can be finalised. Three nine-member review committees are working on the legal and curricular framework, with both documents reported to be at a final stage following instructions from the Minister of Education. The Minister personally committed to intervening to resolve remaining obstacles and expedite the registration process.

Minister Hiniduma Sunil Senevi requested a two-week extension to provide an answer, and the question was accordingly ordered to stand down.

The Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs tabled two annual reports before Parliament: the Tower Hall Theatre Foundation's Annual Report for 2023 and the Hindu Cultural Fund's Annual Performance Report for 2024. The Minister moved that both reports be referred to the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Education, Labour Force and Human Resources Development, which was agreed to without division.