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religion in the country

national mosque malaysia
Islam is the state religion of Malaysia, as per Article 3 of the Constitution. Meanwhile, other religions can be practised by non-Malay citizens of the country. In addition, per Article 160, one … Wikipedia
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Country Malaysia
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Country Malaysia
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Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Religion_in_Malaysia
Religion in Malaysia - Wikipedia
3 weeks ago - Islam is the state religion of Malaysia, as per Article 3 of the Constitution. Meanwhile, other religions can be practised by non-Malay citizens of the country. In addition, per Article 160, one must be Muslim to be considered Malay. As of the 2020 Population and Housing Census, 63.5 percent ...
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Encyclopedia Britannica
britannica.com › geography & travel › countries of the world
Malaysia - Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism | Britannica
6 days ago - Malaysia - Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism: Islam, Malaysia’s official religion, is followed by about three-fifths of the population. Islam is one of the most important factors distinguishing a Malay from a non-Malay, and, by law, all Malays are Muslim.
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U.S. Department of State
state.gov › reports › 2023-report-on-international-religious-freedom › malaysia
Malaysia - United States Department of State
January 4, 2025 - The constitution states, “Islam is the religion of the Federation; but other religions may be practiced in peace and harmony.” Federal and state governments have the power to mandate doctrine for Muslims and promote Sunni Islam above all ...
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/askhistorians › how did islam come to be the majority religion in malaysia and indonesia?
r/AskHistorians on Reddit: How did Islam come to be the majority religion in Malaysia and Indonesia?
October 9, 2024 -

Looking at a map of majority-Muslim countries, it seems to my naïve eyes that countries like Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, and others in that region are pretty far outside the geographic regions 'typically' associated with Islam (Mid-east/North Africa). Neither Islam nor Christianity seem to have taken off in other Southeast Asian countries like Cambodia, Vietnam, or Laos. What factors led to Islam becoming so popular in Malaysia and Indonesia?

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This classic answer by a flaired user whose account has since been deleted should answer your question. Of course, it should go without saying that this shouldn't discourage any other answers, as there is always more to add (especially since this answer is quite old by this point).
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The reasons for the rise of Islam in SEA are complex. We still don't know the whole story and possibly never will. The answer to this question has a small part of the answer, which is that the Portuguese conquest of Malacca inadvertently set off a wave of forced conversions and more extreme Islam: https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/15w9m8b/was_there_ever_religious_conflictsdiscrimination/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button Much, much more remains to be written, of course. Edit: I should also mention, while the religion may have been spread partly by Muslim traders, people did not convert for better trade opportunities alone. Islam began in the 7th century, while the first Muslim ruler in SEA appears only in the 13th century. Yet, in the 5 to 600 years in between, we have ample evidence of a large amount of trade between the Middle East and SEA. Now, there may have been some advantage to having a Muslim community. For example, if a Muslim merchant has to decide where to lay over for a couple of months while waiting for the winds to change, then all things being equal he may decide to lay over in a Muslim village so that he has access to halal food, for example. But, in the real world all things are not equal, and it is likely that things like location, port facilities and so forth were more important than religion. How it probably worked was that in non-Muslim ports where Muslim merchants had a strong presence, they had their own little enclaves with facilities to cater to them.
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Remitly
remitly.com › home › lifestyle & culture › religion in malaysia: a guide to its diversity and significance
Religion in Malaysia Explained | A Guide to Beliefs & Culture | Remitly
October 15, 2025 - Discover the rich religious diversity of Malaysia. Explore how faiths like Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Christianity contribute to its unique culture and harmony.
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Original Travel
originaltravel.co.uk › travel-guide › malaysia › culture
Malaysia Culture : Language, Religion, Food - Original Travel
It’s a cliché, but Malaysia is a true melting pot that’s seen countless waves of immigration. The Malays make up around 50% of the population, inhabiting Kampuchea, the Malay Peninsula and the Pacific islands around 3,000 years ago. The Malay Peninsula lies very close to Sumatra and Malay, and for centuries, the Malacca Strait remained a sort of transition between the different groups of the same family.
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Refugeemalaysia
refugeemalaysia.org › wp-content › uploads › 2024 › 01 › religions-in-malaysia-english.pdf pdf
Religions in Malaysia
All TikTok accounts claiming to be from UNHCR are fake We have been made aware of a fraudulent TikTok @rohingya.edu2 and Facebook (Rohingya News Malaysia) accounts falsely claiming to represent UNHCR Malaysia.
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Religion and Public Life
rpl.hds.harvard.edu › religion-context › case-studies › gender › malaysias-sisters-islam
Malaysia’s Sisters in Islam (SIS) | Religion and Public Life
In addition, centuries of colonial “divide and conquer” strategies led to mistrust between Malaysia’s ethno-religious groups, and after independence, the Malay Muslim population worked to ensure their supremacy in the young nation. Islam was made the official religion, and a divided judicial system based on the colonial system was confirmed: secular courts to address civil and criminal law, and Islamic syariah courts for family law for Muslims.
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WorldAtlas
worldatlas.com › articles › religious-beliefs-in-malaysia.html
Religious Beliefs In Malaysia
April 25, 2017 - Malaysia is a Muslim majority country with significant religious minority populations of Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, and traditional Chinese religion practitioners. According to the 2010 population census, 61.3% of Malaya people are Muslims, ...
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The Conversation
theconversation.com › my-malaysia-ordeal-shows-how-religion-can-fuse-with-populist-nationalism-to-silence-dissent-221936
My Malaysia ordeal shows how religion can fuse with populist nationalism to silence dissent
March 4, 2025 - The strong connection between religion and Malay nationalism has helped Islamic authorities, such as sharia courts and sharia police, expand their influence. Increasing Islamization of Malaysian government, however, is a worry for non-Muslim minorities.
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Forbes
forbes.com › forbes homepage › business › policy
Religious Freedom In Malaysia Under Microscope
December 10, 2021 - Malaysia is a predominately Muslim country with 61.3% Sunni Muslim (data published by the Malaysian Department of Statistics in 2010, up to date data is not available). The remaining population consist of 19.8% Buddhist; 9.2% Christian; 6.3% ...
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12Go
12go.asia › malaysia › religion in malaysia – essential thing to know before your travel
Religion in Malaysia – Essential Thing to Know Before Your Travel
Malaysia is the most multicultural nation in South East Asia with Malays, Chinese, Indians among others identifying as Malaysian. Religion in Malaysia is equally as diverse and includes Muslims, Buddhists, Christians, Hindus and Sikhs.
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ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute
iseas.edu.sg › wp-content › uploads › 2022 › 09 › TRS16_22.pdf pdf
FREEDOM OF RELIGION IN MALAYSIA
No. 11/1988) restricts the propagation of any religion other than Islam. In 2013 · they also announced that they would gazette a fatwa against Shi’ism. In fact, all · states in Malaysia have gazetted a ban on Shi’a sects, and the ban includes the
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Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Malaysia
Malaysia - Wikipedia
1 week ago - The official language is Malaysian Malay, a standard form of the Malay language. English remains an active second language. While recognising Islam as the official religion, the constitution grants freedom of religion to non-Muslims.
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Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Islam_in_Malaysia
Islam in Malaysia - Wikipedia
2 days ago - Islam was introduced to Malaysia by traders arriving from Persia, Arabia, China and the Indian subcontinent. It became firmly established in the 15th century. In the Constitution of Malaysia, Islam is granted the status of "religion of the Federation" to symbolize its importance to Malaysian society, while defining Malaysia constitutionally as a secular state.
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Holidify
holidify.com › pages › religion-in-malaysia-3580.html
Religion in Malaysia- Everything You Need to Know- Holidify
June 13, 2023 - The famous Putra Mosque of Malaysia (Source)The official religion of Malaysia, Sunni Islam is practised by more than 60% of Malaysian citizens. The Sultans are said to be the guardians of the religion in Malaysia.
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RSIS
rsis.edu.sg › rsis-publication › rsis › race-and-religion-in-malaysia
Race and Religion in Malaysia - RSIS
April 5, 2024 - Leaders from the Malaysian Chinese Association and Chinese-based but multiracial Democratic Action Party (DAP) have opposed the boycott out of concern for their supporters, particularly business owners. The Prime Minister’s Malay-majority multiracial Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) and the PAS-offshoot Amanah have remained low-key in their response. PKR has urged calm, while condemning actions that insult Islam or any religion.
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Malaysia Government
malaysia.gov.my › portal › content › 30116
MyGOV - The Government of Malaysia's Official Portal
MyGoverment adalah portal untuk mewujudkan satu gerbang Perkhidmatan dalam talian kerajaan yang berpaksikan rakyat dan merupakan gerbang tunggal kerajaan.