Hon. (Dr.) M.L.A.M. Hizbullah

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Dr. Hizbullah urged the Minister to consult with Deputy Minister Muneer Mulafer and direct the Department's Director to withdraw a letter that had caused multiple organizations to suspend operations. He proposed a targeted approach whereby, if concerns existed about a specific organization, only that organization should be suspended and investigated, rather than imposing a blanket restriction on all organizations.

Dr. Hizbullah addressed the Minister regarding the administrative deregistration of approximately 350 Muslim social service and charitable organizations by the Department of Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs. He argued that no court order or legal decision had revoked the Department's registration authority, and that the Director could simply withdraw the deregistration letter to restore these organizations' functioning status without requiring new legislation or procedures. He cited the Sri Lanka Khateeb and Muazzin Welfare Organization — operational for nearly 30 years with around 10,000 members — as an example of an organization adversely affected, noting that deregistration had disrupted their banking and financial operations, and called on the Minister to direct the Department accordingly.

## Summary Dr. Hizbullah raised a question under Standing Order 27(2) to the Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs regarding the mass deregistration of approximately 350 Islamic charitable organisations in 2019, which he states was carried out under a ministerial directive without specific investigations or individual findings against the organisations. He argued that these organisations had operated legally for decades, providing community services, cultural programmes, youth activities, and social harmony initiatives, and that their wholesale deregistration has caused significant hardship to the Muslim community and disrupted essential services. He contended that while individual organisations under suspicion could have been separately investigated, the blanket deregistration was undemocratic and unjust. He posed three questions to the Minister: whether the deregistration is acknowledged, whether steps will be taken to restore the registrations, and what specific measures have already been undertaken toward reinstatement.

## Summary Hon. Hizbullah called on the Government to prioritise practical economic recovery measures, particularly for agriculture and fisheries sectors devastated by the recent "Ditva" cyclone and floods. He highlighted that affected fishermen in the North, East, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, and Ampara districts have received no meaningful relief — including nets, boats, fertilizer, seed paddy, or fuel subsidies — while vegetable farmers in Nuwara Eliya, Kandy, and Matale have similarly been overlooked. Citing high wholesale vegetable prices and the agricultural competitiveness of neighbouring countries such as India, he urged the Deputy Minister of Finance to develop concrete programs to reduce electricity costs for agriculture and agro-processing and to create a secure, investor-friendly environment to attract foreign investment. He concluded by urging a shift away from partisan bickering toward collaborative, forward-looking national development initiatives.

Dr. Hizbullah raised the longstanding issue of a common syllabus for Arabic colleges, noting that despite a ministerial committee of professors having submitted reports, progress has stalled for six to seven years due to disagreements between the Education authorities and the Muslim Cultural Affairs Department. He urged the registration of remaining long-functioning Arabic colleges alongside the approximately 320 already registered, and called for the common syllabus to be implemented once finalised, expressing hope that this would be achieved within the current minister's tenure.

Dr. Hizbullah raised a matter under Standing Order 27(2) concerning the suspension of registration of madrasas and Arabic colleges under the Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs Department since 2020, following instructions from the then Secretary to the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs. He noted that approximately 80 institutions remain unregistered, while Pirivena, Hindu, and Christian religious schools continue to be registered through their respective departments. He argued this disparity has created practical hardships for students, including non-recognition of certificates affecting higher education and employment opportunities, as well as administrative and financial constraints for the institutions. He formally requested the Minister to clarify what steps have been taken to resume registration and to facilitate approval for the pending applications.

Hon. Hizbullah briefly thanked the Minister for personally visiting an unspecified site and taking prompt action to allocate funds for the urgent commencement of excavations. The statement was made on behalf of affected people in the relevant area.

## Summary Hon. Hizbullah raised a Private Notice Question concerning the 1990 abduction and killing of over 100 Muslim pilgrims returning from Hajj at Kurukkalmadam, Batticaloa, allegedly perpetrated by the LTTE, whose remains are believed to be buried in a mass grave near Kurukkalmadam beach. He noted that despite a 2014 Magistrate's Court order directing excavation of the suspected grave, no excavation has taken place in the intervening period. The speaker acknowledged that approximately Rs. 2.9 million had been allocated and that the Minister had previously committed to supporting immediate excavation, but cited the non-release of funds as the cause of continued delay, with the Magistrate most recently requesting additional funds at a hearing on 6 January 2026. He called on the Minister to immediately release the required funds to the Kaluwanchikudi Divisional Secretariat so that excavation, DNA identification, and reburial according to family wishes could proceed, delivering justice to victims' families after nearly 35 years.

## Summary Dr. Hizbullah opened by acknowledging the Ministry of Transport's swift response in restoring train and bus services following recent floods and Cyclone Ditwah, before raising several concerns. He called for the urgent operationalisation of the Oluvil Port as a fisheries harbour, noting it remains unused despite a Gazette notification for conversion, forcing fisherfolk from the Eastern Province to travel as far as Valaichchenai, and offered to assist in securing financing or private operator arrangements. He raised the threat posed to Sri Lanka's apparel exports by reduced U.S. tariffs on Indian goods (18%), urging the Government to negotiate equivalent or lower tariffs for Sri Lanka or secure GSP concessions as a national priority. He also demanded the immediate conduct of long-delayed Provincial Council elections, describing governance through unelected Governors and Provincial Secretaries as fundamentally undemocratic under the 13th Amendment, and separately requested road repairs in Batticaloa District damaged by Cyclone Ditwah.