The legislative process to amend the Act will start in

November and is expected to be wrapped up by early next year.

This means that Muslims, like other Singaporeans, will be considered as having consented to having their organs harvested when they die - unless they opt out.

Muslims are now not covered by Hota, introduced in 1987, as it was deemed contrary to their beliefs. They had to opt in if they wanted to be donors.

An edict from Muslim leaders in July changed all that, as it declared organ donation a life-saving gesture in line with Islamic teachings.

MOH expects to get five Muslim cadaveric donors a year, giving up five hearts and five livers to people who need them. It also means that 10 more kidneys and 10 more corneas would be available.

Last year, 15 people were taken off the liver waiting list and four off the heart list because they could not get the organs in time and had either died, become too old or too sick for a transplant.

'Every life saved is important,' said Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan, speaking to reporters yesterday at the WaterFest by the Bay.

For the 555 people whose kidneys have failed, the change will mean a shorter wait than the nine years facing them today.

It will have a bigger impact on Muslims, now that the effects of the opt-in process have become clear for all to see. Of the 300,000 eligible Muslims, only 16,000 have pledged their organs.

As priority for organs is given to those who agreed to be donors, the backlog of Muslims awaiting transplants started growing longer. Those who signed on when their organs started failing had to sit out two years before getting on the wait list.

Last year, Muslims made up 21 per cent of patients waiting for a kidney, but only 16 per cent of those who received one. Madam Halimah Yacob, head of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Health, called the move a 'logical development and a necessity'.

'Judging by the long queue of those seeking donors, our experience with the opting-in route has failed,' she said.

She will be holding forums to explain Hota to Muslims who want to know, for example, the definition of 'brain dead''. MOH defines this as someone who 'will never wake up nor regain consciousness' and whose heart will stop once he is taken off artificial support.

Mr Khaw wants six weeks of public consultation to get support for Hota. He also wants feedback on proposals to give more power to MOH to investigate possible organ trading, which is illegal here. Now, only the police can do so.

The Sunday Times understands that someone had tried to sell a kidney on the Net in 2004. The person was identified and issued a letter of warning.

Mr Khaw also indicated that he might make changes to rules regarding living wills or Advance Medical Directive next year, to make it easier for people to declare that they do not want their lives prolonged by artificial means if they fall terminally ill.

The Straits Times reported yesterday that so far, more than 6,000 people have signed living wills, with 3,486 in the last two years alone - a figure which 'pleasantly surprised'' Mr Khaw.

'It's better to let your family know your preference, instead of letting them decide and maybe getting into a quarrel,' he said.

salma@sph.com.sg

SEE ALSO: Her 2-year wait to get on kidney queue cut to one