World Watch List Rank | 46 |
World Watch List Score | 63/100 |
Leader | Sultan Abdullah of Pahang |
Population | 32,869,000 | 2,991,000 Christians |
Main Religion | Islam |
WWL Rank in 2020 | 40 |
Persecution Level | Very High Persecution |
In Malaysia, the government and religious groups monitor churches and it is illegal to share the gospel with Malay Muslims. Converts from Islam to Christianity experience the most persecution, as every ethnic Malay is expected to be Muslim. These believers are often forced to hide their faith and meet in secret. If discovered, they could face divorce from their spouse, rejection from their family—or even risk being sent to a re-education camp.
There have been abductions of certain Christians in recent years. Pastor Joshua Hilmy and his wife Ruth have been missing for more than three years now, after they disappeared from their home in the state of Selangor. Pastor Raymond Koh was abducted and has been missing since February 2017. His whereabouts are still unknown, and according to the findings of the country`s human rights commission, Malaysia’s Special Branch of the police was involved in the abduction.
Though Malaysia dropped by six ranks on the 2021 World Watch List from last year, the reality of persecution in the country remained largely unchanged. While there was some hope for a new openness in Malaysia after elections in 2018, to a great extent this has not happened. The hopes that came with the new government and its seeming commitment to more religious liberty have been replaced with disappointment, and persecution against followers of Jesus has not changed much at all.
Given the increasing restrictions that the Malaysian government and society places upon the local churches and new believers, Open Doors calls for prayers from Christians, worldwide. Prayers are especially needed for new believers who are thirsty for spiritual nourishment and fellowship.
26th Feb 2021
Found in Prayer News
On Wednesday, February 24, Open Doors partners were able to visit Susanna Koh to pass on your letters of encouragement. “It’s so wonderful!” she said…
Read More10th Feb 2021
Found in Prayer News
This week marks four years since the abduction of Pastor Raymond Koh. On February 13, 2017, CCTV captured footage of Raymond being lured out of…
Read More24th Sep 2020
Found in Prayer News
The Malaysian region of Sarawak has seen massive flooding last week. Heavy rains and thunderstorms saw water levels rise about a meter high. Many families…
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