Through this scheme, eligible families will receive support to set up a trust with SNTC, thus safeguarding the well-being and long term needs of their loved ones when there is no longer a caregiver for them. Muis will sponsor eligible families with the initial S$5,000 to set up the trust. Muis will also channel an additional S$5,000 to these families on a one-to-one matching basis.
A hundred families are expected to benefit, each receiving a total of S$10,000 per trust account.
On his Facebook page, Singapore Minister in charge of Muslim Affairs Masagos Zulkifli said, "I hope that this partnership will not only encourage more Muslim families to reach out for help, but also create awareness of such initiatives to others. Your support will go a long way in helping these families."
A SNTC trust is infrastructure to ensure the loved one receives the gifts under a person's will, insurance and CPF savings nomination as anticipated and is administered by a trustee who understands special needs. This takes the traditional responsibility away from relatives or friends.
Last year, full-service law firm IRB Law
recently conducted a talk on Muslim inheritance as part of on-going
education from the Association of Women for Action and Research (AWARE).
AWARE's mission is to remove all gender-based barriers, allowing
individuals in Singapore to develop their potential to the fullest and
realise their personal visions and hopes.
Nur Izyan and Mohammad Rizuan, both Associates at IRB Law, provided an overview of how Muslim inheritance works in Singapore in Syariah law wills and inheritance: Understanding Muslim wills &The law on Muslim inheritance.
According to IRB:
Nur Izyan and Mohammad Rizuan, both Associates at IRB Law, provided an overview of how Muslim inheritance works in Singapore in Syariah law wills and inheritance: Understanding Muslim wills &The law on Muslim inheritance.
According to IRB:
-
The rules for Muslim inheritance are different from those of civil law,
and apply to all Muslims living in Singapore. There are also laws
specific to Singapore on inheritance where civil law takes precedence
over Muslim law.
- As the laws are complex, both speakers stressed that the audience should consult a lawyer about the outcomes they hope to achieve.
- Various legal documents can be drawn up to modify the default distribution of inheritances, but there are limitations to what can be done and the documents must be prepared properly so as not to be rendered invalid.
- The advantage of writing a will to distribute one's estate to named beneficiaries* would be to be able to choose a guardian executor and prevent potential family conflict, Rizuan noted. However, the person can only give up to a third of the estate; the rest of it is distributed by Muslim law (الفرائض, faraid). If there is no will, then all of the estate will be distributed by Muslim law.
Get eligibility criteria and application process
IRB Law cannot give advice through email but is happy to offer a free first consultation.
Explore:
View the list of AWARE events
*According to this site, such beneficiaries may not include beneficiaries who already stand to inherit something under Muslim law.