Malaysian Christians have expressed fresh worries that the government may be infringing their religious freedom after the country's deputy prime minister described Malaysia as an Islamic state.
The Christian Federation of Malaysia issued a statement on 19 July urging Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak to retract comments he made two days earlier when speaking to reporters. The deputy prime minister had said: "Islam is the official religion and Malaysia is an Islamic state, an Islamic state that respects the rights of non-Muslims, and we protect them."
Head of the Christian Federation of Malaysia Bishop Paul Tan Chee Ing said: "The Christian Federation of Malaysia appeals to the deputy prime minister to retract his aforesaid remarks, and to the government to refrain from the use of the term Islamic state in the description of Malaysia, and instead to vigorously advocate the description of Malaysia as a secular constitutional democracy."
The federation said the description of Malaysia as an Islamic state contradicted the country's constitution, which guarantees the right of all religious communities to co-exist and relate with each other on an equal basis as citizens of a one and united country.
Recently, in a number of high-profile cases, some Malaysians have failed in attempts to get the state to stop recognising them as Muslims.Ecumenical News International
