RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY IN MALAYSIA

HI ALL, TODAY I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR BELOVED COUNTRY, " MALAYSIA ". AS WE ALL KNOW, MALAYSIA IS WELL KNOWN BECAUSE WE HAD MANY RACES AND RELIGION IN ONE COUNTRY. IT IS QUITE INTERESTING, RIGHT GUYS?? SO, TODAY, I WOULD TO SHARE SOME INFORMATION ABOUT RELIGION IN MALAYSIA. BELOW IS THE INFORMATION, U MAY COMMENT BELOW IF THERE IS SOME MISTAKE OR YOU WANT TO GIVE YOUR OPINION ABOUT THIS TOPIC. HAVE A GOOD READING GUYS. :)

First, let me start with some statistic,

* Malaysia is a multicultural and multiconfessional country. As of the 2010 Population and Housing Census, 61.3 percent of the population practices Islam; 19.8 percent Buddhism; 9.2 percent Christianity; 6.3 percent Hinduism; and 1.3 percent traditional Chinese religions. The remainder is accounted for by other faiths, including Animism, Folk religion, Sikhism and other belief systems. * 

 1.ISLAM

• Islam is the predominant religion of the country and is recognise as the state's official religion.
• Many Muslim holy days are national holidays, including the end of Ramadan, the end of the Hajj, and the birthday of Mohammad
•  Article 160 of the Constitution of Malaysia one must be Muslim to be considered Malay
• Muslims cannot convert to another religion due to the Shari'ah  courts denying conversion claims and if a Malay did convert they would lose their status as bumiputera. 
• People of non-Muslim origins are required to convert to Islam if they marry a Muslim person.
• Public schools are required to offer Islamic religious instruction, although alternative ethics classes are provided for non-Muslims
• Muslims are obliged to follow the decisions of Syariah courts in matters concerning their religion.
• The jurisdiction of Shariah courts is limited only to Muslims in matters such s marriage, inheritance, divorce, apostasy, religious conversion, and custody among others.
• Mosque is the place where muslim use to pray.

Masjid Kristal,Terengganu 

2. BUDDHISM 

• Buddhism is a  religion for almost Chinese people.
• Chinese New Year is a festival for them and  is celebrated as a national holiday
• A Malaysian Buddhist Council has been created to promote the study and practice of Buddhism and promote solidarity among Malaysian Buddhists
• Vesak day is a national holiday, and joint celebrations take place in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor by both branches of Buddhism
• Chinese temples mostly enshrine gods from the Chinese rovinces of Guangdong and Fujian
• Malaysia has over 150 Daoist temples served by 12000 priests, with the Daoist communities sharing links with those in Taiwan and Mainland China.

Kek Lok Si Temple, Peneng, Malaysia

3. HINDUISM

• Hinduism is a religion for almost of Indian people.
• Urban temples are often dedicated to a single deity, while rural temples are often home to many different deities
• The Hindu holiday of Thaipusam and Deepavali is a national holiday.
• Practice of the Hindu religion is strongly linked with the cultural identity of Malaysian Indians. 
• Those who convert to another religion may be ostracised by their family and the Indian community

The Largest Statue of Hinduism In the World located at Batu Caves

4. CHRISTIANITY

• Mostly non-Malay Bumiputera, also including some Malaysian Chinese and Malaysian Indian minorities, their religion is Christianity.
• The most common denominations are Anglican, Methodist, and Roman Catholic.
•  Christmas is a national holiday, although Easter is not.
•  Good Friday is also an official holiday in East Malaysia, although not a national one.
• Christian people use Bible as their official religion book.

Church in Malacca

5. ANIMISM

• Traditional beliefs are still practised by the Orang Asli people. 
• The beliefs are not recognised by the state as a religion. 
• Animistic beliefs are passed down through oral tradition due to the lack of a writing system in indigenous groups, who call their beliefs agama adat (traditional or customary religions).
• Most of the beliefs are heavily influenced by the environment, with physical features such as mountains, trees, valleys, and rivers being sacred. 
• A close relationship with nature is nurtured, and the relationship of humans and nature is a strong part of the religion, with everyday activities such as hunting and gathering having spiritual significance.

* THAT ALL FROM ME, HOPE YOU GUYS ENJOY READING THIS KIND OF INFORMATIONS. * 

Source : 1. http://www.statistics.gov.my/portal/download_Population/files/census2010/Taburan_Penduduk_dan_Ciri-ciri_Asas_Demografi.pdf

2. Constitution of Malaysia:Article 160 (2)-1

3.https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsBbs7nXmzrzZDoMRPrSl-QcTlu7KZjckz70a6rs3VYyH8Xf6hkTwZEeYYrXQ-sDZshp4VOKpKv-VYJG9h85FgNjraAxCWy_9W-j-os4kHIXtbFHAQC9nXZWQ9hQDnzA8rR7jgQx2TMTY/s1600/Malaysia.jpg

4. http://cutijalan2.com/msjidkristal.htm

5. https://globalanni.wordpress.com/tag/mosques/

6. http://www.panoramio.com/photo/44795949