Markez Islamic Centre (Incorporation) Act 1999

This Act may be cited as the Markez Islamic Centre

(Incorporation) Act, No. 19 of 1999.

From and after the date of commencement of this Act, such and so many persons as now are members of the “Markez

Islamic Centre” (hereinafter referred to as the “Centre”) and such persons as shall hereafter be admitted as members of the

Corporation hereby constituted shall be a body corporate

(hereinafter referred to as “the Corporation”) with perpetual succession, under the name and style of the “Markez Islamic

Centre” and by that name may sue, and be sued, in all courts with full power and authority to have and to use a common seal and alter the same at its pleasure.

The general objects for which the Corporation is constituted are hereby declared to be –

to encourage the observance of Islam ;

to promote, foster and encourage research into, and the study of, the Arabic language, literature and Islamic religion, history and culture, in all their aspects ;

to promote, research on Islam in the Tamil, Sinhala,

to promote Islamic culture and morality ;

to facilitate the study of Islam and the Islamic way of life ;

to establish and maintain friendly relations with other

to print, publish and distribute books, journals, magazines and pamphlets on Islam ;

to provide educational material in Sinhala on Islam, for

to administer, maintain and develop, the Markez Islamic

to maintain the buildings of the Markez Islamic Centre and to construct if necessary, new buildings for the purpose of conducting classes, seminars and discourses in Islam ;

to maintain the library and the lecture halls in the

to receive funds for the attainment of the aims and objects of the Corporation ;

to promote educational and cultural activities ;

to promote social and economic welfare activities.

Subject to the provisions of the Act and any other written law, the Corporation shall have the power to do, perform and execute all such acts, matters and things as are necessary or desirable for the promotion or furtherance of the objects of the Corporation or any one of them, including

Markez Islamic Centre (Incorporation)

the power to open, operate and close bank accounts and to engage, employ and dismiss officers and servants for the carrying out of the objects of the Corporation.

The Corporation shall be able and capable in law to acquire and to hold any property, movable or immovable, which may become vested in it by virtue of any purchase, grant, gift, testamentary disposition or otherwise, and all such property shall be held by the Corporation for the purpose of this Act and subject to the rules of the Corporation, with full power to sell, lease, rent, exchange or otherwise dispose of the same.

The affairs of the Corporation shall, subject to the rules of the Corporation, be administered by a Committee of

The first Committee of Management of the

All debts and liabilities of the Centre existing on the day preceding the date commencement of this Act shall be paid by the Corporation here by constituted and all debts due to, and subscriptions and contributions payable to the Centre on that day shall be paid to the Corporation for the purpose of this Act.

The Corporation shall cause proper books of accounts to be kept with respect to –

The accounts of the Corporation and the balance sheet shall be audited at least once a year by any qualified auditor or auditors appointed for the purpose by the

The Accounts of the Corporation and the balance sheet shall be open to the inspection of the members of the

The moneys and property of the Corporation howsoever derived shall be applied solely towards the promotion of its objects as set forth herein, and no portion thereof shall be paid or transferred, directly or indirectly, by way of dividend, loan, bonus or otherwise, howsoever, by way of profit, to the members of the Corporation :

Provided, however, that the provisions of this section shall not prohibit–

the payment in good faith, of reasonable and proper remuneration to any officer or servant of the corporation or to any member of the Corporation for any services rendered by him to the Corporation ;

the re-imbursement or repayment of reasonable and proper expenses incurred, with the prior written approval of the Committee of Management, by any member, officer or servant of the Corporation, in the discharge or performance of his functions or duties or in promoting the objects of the Corporation.

It shall be lawful for the Corporation–

to purchase, acquire, rent, construct or otherwise obtain, lands or buildings which may be required for the purpose of the Corporation and which may lawfully be acquired for those purposes and to deal with or dispose of, the same, as it may deem expedient, with a view to promoting the objects of the Corporation ;

to invest any funds not immediately required for the purposes of the Corporation, in such manner as the

to secure the discharge of any debt, or obligation of the

to receive subscriptions, grants, donations and gifts of all kinds, locally and from aborad, for the purposes of the Corporation ;

to construct, alter or maintain, any buildings required for the purposes of the Corporation ;

to appoint, dismiss or terminate officers and servants of the Corporation, and to pay them such salaries, pensions, gratuities and allowances as may from time to time be determined by the Committee of Management ;

to establish or contribute to any fund or scheme for the grant of gratuities, pensions, allowances or other benefits to officers or servants, past or present, of the Corporation or to the relatives or dependants of such officers and servants ;

to enter into any contract with any person, company, society or body of persons, whether corporate or unincorporate, for promoting the objects of the

to give grants, endowments or scholarships for the purposes of the Corporation ; and

subject to the provisions of any other written law to do all other things necessary or expedient for the proper and effective carrying out of the objects of the

The seal of the Corporation shall not be affixed to any instrument whatsoever, except in the presence of two members of the Committee of Management of the Corporation who shall sign their names to the instrument in token of their presence and such signing shall be independent of the signing of any persons as a witness.

Markez Islamic Centre (Incorporation)

Nothing in this Act contained shall prejudice or affect the rights of the Republic, or of any body politic or corporate, or of any other persons except such as are mentioned in this

Act, and those claiming by, from, or under, them.

In the event of any inconsistency between the Sinhala and the Tamil texts of this Act, the Sinhala text shall prevail.