Muslims make up about 15.6% of Singapore's residents, according to the 2020 census. Islam is the third largest religion in the country, after Buddhism and Christianity. Over 80% of Singaporean Muslims are ethnically Malays, while 13 percent are Indian. The remaining proportion is composed of local Chinese, Eurasian, and Arab communities, as well as foreign migrants. The majority of Muslims in Singapore are Sunni Muslimswho follow the Shafi‘i or the Hanafi school of thought. Legal history Since the introduction of Islam in the region, Islamic bureaucracy formed an integral part of Malay Sultanates' administrative systems. In the 1500s, the Sultanate of Melaka was recorded to have practiced Sharia. This practice was continued by the Melaka Sultanates' successor state, the Johore Sultanate, of which Singapore was a part until 1824. In 1915, the British colonial authorities established the Mohammedan Advisory Board. The Board was tasked with advising the colonial authorities on matters connected with the Islamic religion and custom. Singapore became part of Malaysia in 1963 and was later expelled in 1965. The constitution of the newly independent Republic of Singapore included two provisions relating to the special position of the Malays and their religious rights, Article 152 and Article 153. Article 152 states: (1) It shall be the responsibility of the Government constantly to care for the interests of the racial and religious minorities in Singapore. (2) The Government shall exercise its functions in such manner as to recognise the special position of the Malays, who are the indigenous people of Singapore, and accordingly it shall be the responsibility of the Government to protect, safeguard, support, foster and promote their political, educational, religious, economic, social and cultural interests and the Malay language. Because of Article 152, Section 2, the Singapore government discourages missionaries from proselytising the Malay population away from Islam towards other religions. This discouragement is meant to avoid engendering racial and religious tensions with the Muslim population. These tensions would arise because Malayness is closely and strongly identified with Islam. Article 153 states: The Legislature shall by law make provision for regulating Muslim religious affairs and for constituting a Council to advise the President in matters relating to the Muslim religion. In 1966, the Singaporean Parliament passed the Administration of the Muslim Law Act (AMLA). Coming into effect in 1968, the Act defined the powers and jurisdiction of three key Muslim institutions: the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore