Background
Under the old structure prior to 1996, the Academy of Islamic Studies was known as Islamic Academy. There were two faculties under the Islamic Academy then, which are the Faculty of Syariah and the Faculty of Usuluddin. At both these faculties there were no departments then such as there are today. The Siasah Syar’iyyah and Islamic Politics are two of the courses offered at the Faculty of Syariah. Only some of the courses were considered as compulsory courses and the remaining courses are considered elective courses for students of Syariah. The administration courses on the other hand are offered as electives to students from the Faculty of Usuluddin and the Faculty of Syariah.
The study in Siasah Syar’iyyah and Administration was more widely introduced at the Academy of Islamic Studies after the establishment of the Department of Siasah Syar’iyyah. The establishment of the Department of Siasah Syar’iyyah is the result of a restructuring exercise between the Department of Islamic Studies and the Academy of Islam on 15 January 1996, whereby both departments were two separate components of the University of Malaya. This restructuring was necessary to ensure that the courses offered by these departments cover a more in-depth content and are taught more effectively. It is through this restructuring initiative that the original name of Academy of Islam was changed to the Academy of Islamic Studies University of Malaya (APIUM).
The Department of Siasah Syar’iyyah at the APIUM is the one and only department of Islamic politics and administration ever established in this country. Under the new structure, the Academy of Islamic is divided into three divisions, which are Syariah Studies Division, Usuluddin Division, and Joint Studies Division. Each of these divisions is comprised of a number of departments. The Department of Siasah Syar’iyyah has been placed under the Syariah Studies Programme whereby it is one of the five new departments established in the Syariah Studies Division. Its establishment is parallel with the establishment of other departments in the Syariah Studies Division. The main objective of its establishment is so that courses can be can be offered and taught more effectively and at a more in-depth level as well as easier to understand; organized and easier for students to master in a more effective way, whilst producing religious scholars who are experts in their respective fields.
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