Religion in Malaysia

[17] Statistics from the 2010 Census indicate that 83.6% of Malaysia's ethnic Chinese identify as Buddhist, with significant numbers of adherents following Taoism (3.4%) and Christianity (11.1%).

No ethnic Malay is allowed to leave Islam, while non-Malay Muslims seeking to apostatise require permission from a sharia court, which is rarely granted.

[18] The conflict between the federal and state governments over religious authority led to a slow pace of reform and development of laws relating to Islam.

[22] Other religious groups, such as the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST), have supported political rallies.

Nonetheless, PAS participates within the democratic system and has moderated at times to win votes, even making political alliances with non-Muslim parties when advantageous.

[24] Both Barisan Nasional (BN) and the opposition PAS party have attempted to deliver political messages using mosques in the states they govern.

[27] Currently a dispute exists between those who promote a secular interpretation of the federal constitution and those who believe Shariah courts and Islamic law should have supremacy.

While this treaty placed most aspects of governance under British control, the Sultan of Perak retained authority over Malay religious and cultural affairs.

While the ruling government believes that attaining economic power will empower the Malay population, PAS sees that as an erosion of Islamic values.

[30] Attempts to crack down on what was seen as Islamic extremism led the government to change the penal code to prosecute those who "abuse religious freedom" in the early 1980s.

In June 1983, the Mahathir government stated that the administration would be guided by Islamic values, while in August of that year it supported the establishment of the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism and Sikhism.

[33] The Prime Minister has asserted the continuing debate about secularism has been caused by opposition parties to advance their own political interests.

[31] In 2018, the Chief Minister of the state of Sarawak pledged to amend Sarawak's laws to allow individuals to convert from Islam, following a court case where three women who had converted to Islam after marrying Muslims sought to be registered as Christians again following divorce from their spouse or their spouse's death.

The PAS party wishes that the death penalty be enacted for Muslims who attempt to convert, as part of their ultimate desire to turn Malaysia into an Islamic state.

[29] The Kerling Incident in 1978, where four Muslims died in a series of attacks on Hindu temples, re-ignited fears of racial violence and led to political calls for religious tolerance.

[34]: 46 [50] Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in 2004 appeared at a Christian gathering to read from the Bible and called for religious unity despite differences.

Prominent points of tensions include conversion, with converting away from Islam being effectively legally impossible, and language use, with the use of Malay for non-Muslim religious sermons and materials being controversial.

[19] In 1985, Kassim Ahmed wrote a book called Hadith: A Re-evaluation which promoted Quranism, but it was subsequently banned by the Malaysian government.

Regulation of sexual activities among the Muslim population is strict, with laws prohibiting unmarried couples from occupying a secluded area or a confined space, to prevent suspicion of acts considered islamically immoral.

[18] The jurisdiction of Shariah courts is limited only to Muslims in matters such as marriage, inheritance, divorce, apostasy, religious conversion, and custody among others.

[19] In 2009 the National Fatwa Committee decided female circumcision was part of Malaysian Islamic practice,[61] making it obligatory unless determined to be harmful to the individual.

[62] Archaeological evidence, as well as official Chinese imperial records and Indian sources, confirm the existence of several Hindu-Buddhist kingdoms in Malaysia from the 3rd to 13th century CE.

Located in the interiors of modern-day Kelantan, the kingdom supplied gold and jungle produce to Langkasuka and Champa (Southern Vietnam).

Terracotta figurines of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas from the Mahayana School were found in the districts of Tanah Merah and Gua Musang in Kelantan.

Malaysian police have arrested a resort owner after he allowed 13 Buddhists to use a Muslim prayer room (surau) for their meditation at Kota Tinggi, Johor.

Following up at 28 August 2013, the controversial prayer room was demolished by the resort management within 21 days from the date of receipt of the notice after much protests by the residents of Kota Tinggi.

[67][68] At the time, Syed Ahmad Salim, the resort owner explained that he had allowed the group of Buddhists to use the surau for a meditation session as he was unaware that it was an offence.

Hinduism was influential prior to Islam, but current adherents are mostly descended from migrant communities from Tamil Nadu who came to Malaya to work on British rubber plantations.

[52] The Hindu Rights Action Force, a coalition of 50 Hindu-based NGOs, has accused the government of an unofficial policy of "temple cleansing", with much of the demolition focused around the capital city, Kuala Lumpur.

[19] In March 2021 the Kuala Lumpur high court overturned the 1986 ban,[80] a ruling which was quickly appealed by the government[81][82] following religious and political pressure.