Freedom Of Religion Malaysia

Questions including whether malaysia is an islamic state or secular state remains unresolved.

Freedom of religion malaysia. 1 discrimination against religious minorities. This means that even if malaysia has declared islam as the official religion the malaysian population which consists of various ancestry and beliefs are free to practise their respective faith. To the protection and promotion of the right to freedom of religion or belief in malaysia. Malaysia is a multi religious society but while the malaysian constitution theoretically guarantees freedom of religion islam is the official religion of the federation as well as the legally presumed faith of all ethnic malays.

No ethnic malay is allowed to leave islam while non malay muslims seeking to apostacise require permission from a sharia court which is rarely granted. The federal constitution of malaysia protects the right to freedom of religion or belief including religious manifestation by way of professing practicing and propagating one s religious beliefs. In recent times there has been a number of contentious issues and incidents which has tested the relationship between the different religious groups in malaysia. Every person has the right to profess and practice his religion and subject to clause 4 to propagate spread and promote it.

Given the fact that islam is the official religion care is taken not to publish articles that cast a slur intended or. And malaysia is on the side of the sunni and is anti shia. For example you cannot be stopped from practising your religion whatever it may be in malaysia 2. Article 11 on the freedom of religion on the other hand says every person is entitled to profess and practise his own religion and subject to clause 4 develop their own religion.

The same constitution that allows freedom of religion in malaysia points out that islam is the religion of the nation but other religions may also be practiced in a peaceful and harmonious manner. And that is why the shia sect is banned in malaysia and those who follow the shia belief are arrested. The status of freedom of religion in malaysia is a controversial issue. Race and religion are the main obstacles to the implementation of religious freedom in malaysia.

This briefing paper identifies six key issues concerning the implementation in practice of constitutional provisions federal laws and islamic laws in the context of freedom of religion or belief. Constitution of malaysia article 11. Freedom of religion 1. Great care is taken not to impinge on the religious sensitivities of various groups.

Despite this the subject of freedom of religion in malaysia is one that has been dodged with lots of controversies over the years.