For a long time in Malaysia, there was respect for persons of other faiths - and thus commercial premises were allowed to host places of religious worships of people of different faiths - so there is today some premises which are churches/places of religious worship of different christian denominations and cults, and even many of the different Chinese religions - and it was no big deal.
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The fundamental problem was that the government(be it Federal/State and Local Government) as a policy failed to adequate enough land for the different Christian Groups and the different Chinese religions - the biggest problem was the Government's failure to appreciate the fundamental fact - that there are MANY different Christian Groups that require different churches(the possibility of sharing Churches is a problem), likewise Chinese religions, likewise Hindu temples...The problem also exists in terms of Muslims, as there are also different Muslims, be it Sunni, Shia, etc -
There are an estimated 250,000 Shia Muslims in Malaysia, comprising both local citizens and a sizable population of expatriates, foreign students, and refugees. Note that in 1996, the National Fatwa Council declared Shia Islam a "deviant" sect and prohibited its teachings among Muslims.Malaysia maintains formal diplomatic relationships with Shia-majority countries, including Iran, Iraq, and Azerbaijan, and has embassies in their respective capitals. While Malaysian Sunni Muslims follow the Shafi'i school, Bangladesh Muslims follow the Hanafi school.
There must be an appreciation that most religions - Like Christianity, there are SO MANY different groups of Christians, and most people have heard about the CATHOLICS and PROTESTANTS, but not so simple because under the PROTESTANTS, there are so many different groups, and they all need their OWN Place of Worship.
For the Protestant, under the Council of Churches of Malaysia - amongst others, we have Anglican, Basel Christian Church, Lutheran, Mar Thoma Syrian Church, Methodist, Orthodox Syrian Church, Presbyterian Church, Protestant Church in Sabah, ...
Under the National Evangelical Christian Fellowship, we have the Assembly of God, Baptist Church, Brethren Church, Evangelical Free Church, Full Gospel Assembly, Full Gospel Tabernacle, Hope of God Church, Latter Rain Church, Sidang Injil Borneo Sabah, Sidang Injil Borneo Sarawak, Sidang Injil Borneo Semenanjung, ...
Chinese religion in Malaysia is a diverse, community-based practice blending Taoism, Buddhism, and ancestral worship - some assume that Chinese are just Buddhist - so very wrong? Buddhism in Malaysia is diverse, with Mahayana (primarily Chinese), Theravada (Thai, Sinhalese, Burmese), and Vajrayana (Tibetan).Taoist groups in Malaysia are diverse, often merging with Chinese folk religion, and are typically categorized by dialect group, lineage, or regional practices.
See
Malaysian Policy Religious Place of Worship/Burial Site? Government action must not be seen as BIAS in favour of particular groups especially when it comes to RELIGION crimes?
So, when the PKR Menteri Besar of this PH-led MADANI government comes up with allegedly a 'draft' recently published Selangor State Planning Guidelines and Standards for Community Facilities, - Paragraphs 6 and 7 of the section governing non-Islamic places of worship state that such facilities may not be placed in commercial zones and that existing buildings cannot be converted.
This mean the different religious groups cannot anymore use shop-lots, usually the 1st floor and 2nd floor as places for religious worship or religious related activities - Will the MADANI government now allocate lands and monies for the building of 30-40 different churches in every local government area, 30 places for the building of the different Chinese Malaysian places of worship, and 10 places for the building of different temples dedicated to different deities > OR is the MADANI government under Anwar Ibrahim deciding NO more places of religious groups in Malaysia? Even PAS led States do not have such a policy.
The fact is that some of the religious groups do not have the numbers or the capacity to build churches - some are small, and they simply need a shop lot(one floor) to survive.
Many of our armed forces come from Sabah and Sarawak - and they too belong to very different Churches some very specific to Sabah and Sarawak like the Sidang Injil Borneo Sabah, Sidang Injil Borneo Sarawak - the name may sound similar but they have very different leadership and maybe some practices too.
The clarification comes after Petaling Jaya MP Lee Chean Chung raised concerns over the recently published Selangor State Planning Guidelines and Standards for Community Facilities, which were approved at a state exco meeting on Nov 12 last year.
The guidelines are administered by PLANMalaysia Selangor, the state’s town and country planning department.
Paragraphs 6 and 7 of the section governing non-Islamic places of worship state that such facilities may not be placed in commercial zones and that existing buildings cannot be converted.
Lee said the restrictions could affect many religious groups in Selangor as many currently use commercial or industrial buildings due to a lack of approved land...
So, what exactly PM Anwar Ibrahim trying to DO which is certainly in violation of Malaysian's right to FREEDOM of RELIGION...
Do not forget that PM Anwar's government also tried to DEFINE ISLAM in the past - a move that received PROTEST/OBJECT from the Sultan of Perlis and the Menteri Besar/government of the State
The Sultan of Perlis, Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin, and the Perlis state religious establishment strongly protested the federal government's controversial Mufti (Federal Territories) Bill 2024. They raised major objections to how the bill restricts Islamic theology and ...
The issue of places of worship emerged with the planned MADANI Mosque wanting a about 100 year hold Hindu Temple to move...
Because of PM Anwar's statement, it emboldened some 'Muslims' to WRONGLY act on their own and demolish a Hindu Temple in Rawang
“So, in response to PM’s call regarding the clearing of illegal houses of worship, Ismail, as a trustee of the foundation, sought Tamim's assistance to carry out the clearing of the illegal structure on the foundation's land.
“This is to make way for the construction of a housing project for the asnaf (tithe recipients) on the land, which has been planned for a long time. The clearing was successfully carried out early this morning,” Aidil told Malaysiakini. - Malaysiakini, 11/2/2026
Thankfully Anwar was fast to CLARIFY that destroying a temple or any buildings is a CRIME -
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has urged the public not to take the law into their own hands over places of worship purportedly built without approval.Anwar said no individual or group had the right to act based on their own feelings or preferences, adding that the rule of law must be upheld in Malaysia.
“This country must be based on rules and laws, not on the whims and fancies of individuals. You have no right whatsoever to take the law into your own hands,”- FMT, 11/2/2026
BUT, why has Tamim and others that clearly BROKE the law by demolishing the Rawang Sri Uchimalai Muniswaran Temple still NOT been charged in Court...
Likewise, why have those ERA FM employees still not been charged in Court for their crime?
ERA
FM Employees - charge them Sec. 298 Penal Code - Actions which wound
religious feelings - not Section 233 CMA 1988, which must be repealed?
Anwar - personally speak up
3R crimes will not be tolerated says Anwar, and one of the Rs is RELIGION - so why have these individuals NOT YET BEEN CHARGED for breaking the LAW? WHY the DELAY...
PM ANWAR IBRAHIM cannot decide on 'preferential treatment' or selective NON prosecution of those that broke the CRIME...
This NEW Selangor 'policy' issue is serious > and this may be a violation of Malaysian's freedom of religion...
A more detailed breakdown of the religious demographics in Selangor reveals the following distribution:
- Islam: 61.1% (Predominantly Sunni, serves as the official state religion)
- Buddhism: 21.6% (Primarily practiced by the ethnic Chinese community)
- Hinduism: 10.3% (Mainly practiced by the ethnic Indian community)
- Christianity: 4.9% (Diverse denominations across various ethnic groups)
- Others/No Religion: 2.1% (Includes Taoism, folk religions, Sikhism, and atheism
FOR places of worship - I have proposed a GOVERNMENT policy on how to deal with 'alleged' 'ILLEGAL' places of worships...Malaysian Policy Religious Place of Worship/Burial Site? Government action must not be seen as BIAS in favour of particular groups especially when it comes to RELIGION crimes?
The fact that it is happening in Selangor, a PH-led State(where DAP has 15 seats, PKR 12 seats, Amanah 5 seats after the last State Elections) is shocking. UMNO only has 2 seats...So, was it DAP, PKR and Amanah that came up with this NEW policy > and note even after the issue was highlighted, the Selangor government 'allegedly' is defending this policy as reported..
The Selangor government has defended new planning guidelines that bar non-Islamic houses of worship from being built in commercial areas. A spokesman from the menteri besar’s office said the guidelines were based on feedback received by local councils from residents living near commercial areas.
PLEASE protect the right of MINORITY religions - they too deserve our RESPECT and tolerance - who are these residents that want places of worship in shot lots and commercial buildings shut down - is this the views of the people? OR are they the views of the 'political appointee' of the government who are appointed as leaders of Taman/Communities/Kampungs > not persons democratically elected by the people through a democratic elections. Local Councils are all 'political appointee' - do not lay blame on ORDINARY Selangor Residence ...DO A REFERENDUM then to get a CLEAR position of the people in SELANGOR > OR should the people be asked to vote PH if they support this Selangor State Planning Guidelines and Standards for Community Facilities or NOT. Don't do the later, because I believe in the people of Selangor and thus it is risky for PH - AND the same that happened in Sabah may happen in Selangor too???
WILL this impact Malaysian voter support come next Selangor State elections, and the upcoming Federal elections?
NO Malaysians, I believe, wants any religious community, no matter how small in numbers, to not a place of their OWN for religious worship and related activities ... We have accepted the differences, and RESPECT the right of all peoples with regard their religion, beliefs, faiths,...
Selangor defends guidelines for new houses of worship
A spokesman from the menteri besar's office says the guidelines are meant to improve planning and reduce congestion.
A spokesman from the menteri besar’s office said the guidelines were based on feedback received by local councils from residents living near commercial areas.
The new rules are to allow for better movement of traffic and parking facilities, as commercial areas have limited space and may not be able to cater to the needs of religious communities, the spokesman told FMT.
The spokesman also said the rules apply only to new developments and will not affect houses of worship already operating in commercial or other premises.
“Moving forward, each new area, which is developed for residential purposes, will have a gazetted land for both Muslim and non-Muslim houses of worship.”
The clarification comes after Petaling Jaya MP Lee Chean Chung raised concerns over the recently published Selangor State Planning Guidelines and Standards for Community Facilities, which were approved at a state exco meeting on Nov 12 last year.
The guidelines are administered by PLANMalaysia Selangor, the state’s town and country planning department.
Paragraphs 6 and 7 of the section governing non-Islamic places of worship state that such facilities may not be placed in commercial zones and that existing buildings cannot be converted.
Lee said the restrictions could affect many religious groups in Selangor as many currently use commercial or industrial buildings due to a lack of approved land.
“Rather than intensifying efforts to address the long-standing shortage of land for non-Islamic houses of worship, why introduce restrictions on arrangements that have largely not posed problems?” he said in a Facebook post. - FMT, 23/5/2026
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