DESIGNATION: Restricted

BACKGROUND: The population of this former British colony is highly educated and enjoys economic prosperity. The country includes three major ethnicities: Malay (60%), Chinese (30%) and indigenous people. Most Christians come from the indigenous groups. The Malays are the most powerful group in the country, and being Muslim is an important part of their identity. Half of the country is a thin peninsula stretching out from Southeast Asia, while the other half shares the island of Borneo with Indonesia.   

MAJOR RELIGIONS: Malaysia is a majority Muslim country, but it also has a significant Buddhist population.

PERSECUTOR: The government of Malaysia severely punishes anyone who leaves Islam.

WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A CHRISTIAN IN MALAYSIA: While Christianity is not illegal, Christians are marginalized by the ruling Muslim ethnic group and have difficulty acquiring building permits for new churches. Many churches work in the non-dominant languages of Mandarin, Tamil and English, but not in the Malay language. While there are some large churches in Malaysia, they are reluctant to evangelize for fear of government retaliation. There are no above-ground Malay churches, and it is illegal for Malays to convert to Christianity. Those who convert and are caught are confined to “reeducation camps” that use brainwashing techniques, torture and propaganda to force Christians to return to Islam. A small number of Malay believers worship in non-Malay churches, but it can cause problems for the church if they are discovered. Most Malay-background Christians keep their ethnicity a secret from their church. In Eastern Malaysia, which is separated from peninsular Malaysia and shares a border with Indonesia, there are many Christians among the indigenous people.

ACCESS TO BIBLES: It is illegal for Malay people to have a Bible. Bibles are not available in areas that are not dominated by Christians.

VOM WORK: VOM supports local Christian workers and helps Malay Christians.