Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act 1990 · 2020 Revised Edition · Part 3 · Restraining Orders
8. Restraining orders against officials or members of religious group or religious institution
Feedback & supportLast amended by an amending law of 2025. 2 amendments in all.
The Minister may make a restraining order against any religious leader of any religious group or religious institution or any member thereof for the purposes specified in subsection (2) where the Minister is satisfied that that person has committed or is committing, or is likely to commit, or has attempted or is attempting to commit any of the following acts:
religious group
“religious group” includes —(a)any company or other body corporate incorporated under the Companies Act 1967 or any other written law for the purpose of promoting any religion, religious worship or dealing with religious affairs or practising, conducting, teaching or propagating any religious belief; and(b)any body of persons, whether or not registered as a society under the Societies Act 1966, whose object is the promotion of any religion, religious worship or the practice, conduct, teaching or propagating of any religious belief.
causing feelings of enmity, hatred, ill will or hostility between different religious groups;
carrying out activities to promote a political cause, or a cause of any political party while, or under the guise of, propagating or practising any religious belief;
carrying out subversive activities under the guise of propagating or practising any religious belief; or
exciting disaffection against the President or the Government while, or under the guise of, propagating or practising any religious belief.
The Minister may make a restraining order against any religious group for the purposes specified in subsection (2A) if the Minister is of the opinion that it is necessary or expedient so as to pre-empt, prevent or reduce any foreign influence affecting the religious group which may —
undermine religious tolerance between different religious groups in Singapore; and
present a threat to the public peace and public order in Singapore.
An order made under subsection (1) may be made against the person named in the order for the following purposes:
restraining the person from addressing orally or in writing any congregation, parish or group of worshippers or members of any religious group or religious institution on any subject, topic or theme as may be specified in the order without the prior permission of the Minister;
requiring the person —
to stop undertaking any communications activity involving the information or material specified or described in the order, immediately or within the period specified in the order, and absolutely or except with the prior permission of the Minister; or
to stop printing or editing, or assisting or contributing to, any publication produced by any religious group or religious institution without the prior permission of the Minister;
restraining the person from holding office in an editorial board or a committee of a publication of any religious group without the prior permission of the Minister.
A restraining order made under subsection (1A) may be made against a religious group named in the order requiring the religious group —
to not accept any anonymous donation on or after a date specified in the restraining order;
to not accept any religious donation on or after a date specified in the restraining order from a foreign principal specified in the order;
to return any religious donation received, on or after a date specified in the restraining order, from a foreign principal specified in the order;
to dispose of any anonymous donation received, on or after a date specified in the restraining order;
to ensure that on or after a date specified in the restraining order, every member of the governing body of the religious group is a citizen of Singapore;
to suspend a member of its governing body specified in the restraining order (whether or not the member is a citizen of Singapore) from the performance of the member’s functions for a period specified in the order;
to remove a member of the governing body of the religious group specified in the restraining order (whether or not the member is a citizen of Singapore); or
to comply with any combination of the measures in paragraphs (a) to (f).
A restraining order under subsection (1A) of the effect in subsection (2A)(b) or (c) may specify the manner in which, and must specify the period within which, the religious donations concerned must be sent back to the person who made the donation or any other person appearing to be acting on the donor’s behalf.
A restraining order under subsection (1A) of the effect in subsection (2A)(d) may require —
if the donation was transmitted by a person (other than the donor) and the identity of that person is apparent, that the whole donation must be returned to that person;
if paragraph (a) does not apply but it is apparent that the donor has, in connection with the donation, used any facility provided by an identifiable financial institution, that the whole donation must be returned to that financial institution; or
in all other cases, that the whole donation must be sent to a competent authority; and all anonymous donations so sent must be paid into the Consolidated Fund.
A restraining order under subsection (1A) of the effect in subsection (2A)(f) may also require the religious group concerned to suspend (for no longer than 24 continuous months) a member of the governing body of the religious group who is not a citizen of Singapore from the exercise of his office as a member of the governing body pending consideration being given to his removal under a restraining order under subsection (1A).
Subject to section 12, a restraining order made under this section has effect for such period, not exceeding 2 years, as may be specified in the order.
Before making a restraining order, the Minister is not required to give any person notice of, or consult any person on, the Minister’s intention to make that order.
After making a restraining order, the Minister must immediately give, or cause to be given, a copy of the order, and the grounds, facts and documents supporting the order, to the following:
for a restraining order under subsection (1) —
the religious leader of a religious group or religious institution or a member thereof against whom the order is made; and
the head or governing body of that religious group or religious institution;
for a restraining order under subsection (1A) —
the religious group against whom the order is made; and
the head or governing body of that religious group.
A restraining order takes effect on the date a copy of it is given to the religious leader of a religious group or religious institution or a member thereof mentioned in subsection (5)(a)(i), and the religious group mentioned in subsection (5)(b)(i), respectively; and that religious leader or member of the religious group or religious institution or that religious group (as the case may be) must comply with the order.
religious institution
“religious institution” includes a church, cathedral, chapel, sanctuary, mosque, surau, temple, synagogue or other place of worship;
A reference in subsection (2)(b) and section 9(2) to stop undertaking any communications activity involving the information or material includes a reference to taking all reasonably practicable steps to ensure that the information or material is no longer available on or through the Internet to end users in Singapore, such as (if necessary) the removal of the information or material from an online location.