Freedom of religion in Malaysia

The Constitution of Malaysia establishes a right to freedom of religion in Article 11. However, Islam is also established as the state religion of the country in article 3, and article 11 provides for legal restrictions on proselytizing to Muslims. According to Freedom House, the country was scored 1 out of 4 for freedom of religion, with 0 being the worst and 4 being the best, in 2023.

Muslims themselves are subject to state enforcement of religious observance, where the government can issue fines or legal penalties for failing to perform praying and fasting, or engaging in premarital sex. In addition, ethnic Malays are legally mandated that they must be a Muslim and are strictly prohibited from converting to other faiths. A Muslim must also be a Sunni, with being a Shia officially banned and unrecognised. While other religious communities represent a significant portion of the population, those who identify with atheist, agnostic, or other irreligious life stances are rare, as open hostility and state-sanctioned pressure make such positions difficult.

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