History of Establishment

Before the establishment of Penang and Province Wellesley Islamic Religious Council, which is before this country gain independence, there has been formed by the so-called Islamic Advisory board. The Board is functioning as an advisor to the government and in charge of Islamic affairs in Penang. Among the tasks entrusted to this board is to review and recommend for the establishment of a body that regulate the Islamic religious affairs in the state.

In 1955, a committee was appointed by the Penang State Government to study the establishment of Islamic Religious Council in Penang. However, due to some turbulence occurred in this country in order to gain independence, efforts towards the establishment Islamic Religious Council in Penang was quite slow. In 1957, after gaining independence, a Special Committee that responsible to make research before the establishment of Penang and Province Wellesley Islamic Religious Council was appointed by the Penang State Government. This Special Committee has recommended that a law must be formed before the establishment of Penang and Province Wellesley Islamic Religious Council. Determined efforts of the Special Committee with Penang State Government has resulted with a Bill was approved by The Penang State Assembly on 15th April 1959 and named as Islamic Administration Law 1959 (Law No. 3 1959). On 1st January 1960 after the law passed, The DYMM Almarhum Tuanku Hishammudin Alam Shah Al Haj Ibni Almarhum Sultan Alaiddin Sulaiman Shah has consented the appointments of Allahyarham Haji Yusoff GM as the Yang Dipertua of Penang and Province Wellesley Islamic Religious Council, Allahyarham Haji Abdullah bin Haji Ibrahim as the first Mufti and Haji Ali Rouse as Secretary. Members of Penang and Province Wellesley Islamic Religious Council was consist of two Members of the State Legislative Assembly which are Muslims and 15 more persons were among the prominent Muslims scholars and Muslims local leaders. Their name are as follows: