The Necessity of a Religious Freedom Policy Within the Christian Demographic Context of Terengganu, Malaysia: Issues and Challenges

This article examines the need for a religious freedom policy within the context of Terengganu, a Malaysian state with a Muslim majority population but also a minority Christian community. The primary objective of this study is to assess the extent to which such a policy is necessary, considering demographic factors, the existing legal framework, as well as the issues and challenges surrounding the governance of religious freedom particularly those related to apostasy cases and the construction of non-Muslim places of worship. This study adopts a qualitative approach through document analysis, including the Federal Constitution, State Enactment, government agency reports, and relevant scholarly literature. The findings indicate that although religious freedom is guaranteed under the Federal Constitution, broad interpretations and legal inconsistencies between federal and state laws pose challenges in effectively managing apostasy cases. In the context of Terengganu, the issue of religious freedom remains relatively well-managed, with no recorded applications for apostasy among Malay Muslims. Therefore, in the short term, implementing a religious freedom policy is not deemed a pressing priority for the state. However, the study recommends that such a policy could be formulated as a complementary framework to the existing legal structure, serving as a strategic guideline for long-term governance without undermining the position of Islam as the official religion of the state.

Policy, religious freedom, Federal Constitution

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