KIDNEY DONATION AMONGST MALAY/MUSLIMS IN SINGAPORE : A STUDY FROM A RELIGIOUS PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

This thesis attempts to look at the reasons behind the low level of Malay-Muslim kidney transplant pledgers in Singapore following the implementation of the Human Organ Transplant Act (HOTA) in 1987, with a focus on religious perspectives on the issue. The issue of kidney donation and transplantation has become a serious one in recent years due particularly to the rapidly increasing number of Muslim kidney patients. Implicit within HOTA is that Muslims who do not pledge their kidneys receive no subsidy on their dialysis treatment nor are they given any priority for transplantation if they are to suffer from kidney failure in the future. Campaigns organised by the National Kidney Foundation and the Muslim Kidney Action Committee for the past years has not been entirely successful in increasing the number of pledgers. Nevertheless, the level of awareness on the issue of kidney pledging has increased with each intense campaign and wide media coverage especially through the radio and newspaper. The HOTA excludes Singaporean Muslims. Although, this does not mean that Muslims, cannot pledge their kidneys. In fact, Muslims have been encouraged to pledge their kidneys on humanitarian grounds. Throughout the study, several factors are identified as possibly accounting for the low number of pledgers. These include the "witness" problem, the perception of Government pressure on the Malay-Muslims community, and the lack in awareness on the significance of pledging ones' kidneys. However, the most important reason appears to be the change in fatwa (religious ruling) on the permissibility of kidney donation and transplant by the Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (MUIS-Islamic Religious Council of Singapore). In 1973, MUIS prohibited kidney transplantation basing its ruling on the hadith (traditions). In 1986, kidney donation was ruled as permissible on condition of "dharunat"or emergency/crisis situation. The drastic change made some Singaporean Muslims question the "sudden flexibility" of MUIS over the matter. This thesis attempts to explain Islamic views on medicine, the sources of Islamic law, the basis of fatwa and most important of all, the concept of ijtihad (independent reasoning) and that reasons for the issuance of both fatwas in 1973 and 1986 as proffered by the chief Muslim religious authority in Singapore to obtain an insight on the change. It is hoped that this thesis will provide some understanding to the problems at hand for the Malay-Muslim community in Singapore over this issue and will help to generate more interest for further studies on the matter.