Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new report on religious freedom conditions in Malaysia:
Malaysia Country Update – This country update assesses religious freedom conditions in Malaysia during 2021. Malaysia has witnessed unprecedented political instability in recent years—starting on February 24, 2020, with the sudden collapse of the Pakatan Harapan coalition and then the collapse of the succeeding Perikatan Nasional coalition over a year later on August 16, 2021. During this time, Malaysian authorities from various political parties in several states and the federal government continued to pursue policies to further restrict religious freedom. The Muslim population, in particular, has faced restrictions to their religious practice—especially Malay-Muslims.
USCIRF has monitored religious freedom conditions in Malaysia since 2014. USCIRF recommended that the U.S. Department of State place Malaysia on its Special Watch List (SWL) for ongoing and systematic violations of religious freedom for the first time in 2020, and again in its 2021 Annual Report. In October 2021, USCIRF released a factsheet which highlighted the persecution of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community in Malaysia.
###
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan federal government entity established by the U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze, and report on religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and Congress intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion and belief. To interview a Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
|
