The Hon. M.L.A.M. Hizbullah

¶ 01 Hon. Minister, thank you. Around 350 organizations were registered under the Department of Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs based on authority granted to that Department by the Ministry or by law. There is no decision or court order that removed that authority or prohibited registrations. Therefore, if the Director who issued the cancellation letter withdraws it, these organizations can automatically function; no new law or procedure is required. The Waqf Act procedure exists for other purposes, but the Departmental registration covered social-service charities.

¶ 02 Please advise the Department accordingly. I am not criticizing, but the then Director took a unilateral decision. Long-standing bodies—for example, the Sri Lanka Khateeb and Muazzin Welfare Organization, operating for about 30 years with around 10,000 service personnel—have had bank accounts and investments affected by deregistration.