Editing Sarawak (section)

== Religion ==
{{Main|Demographics of Sarawak#Religions of Sarawak}}
{{bar box
|width=250px
|barwidth=100px
 |title=Religion in Sarawak (2020)<ref name="Malaysia census 2020"/>
 |titlebar=#ddd
|left1=Religion
|right1=Percent
|float=right
|bars=
{{bar percent|[[Christianity]]|Blue|50.1}}
{{bar percent|[[Islam]]|Green|34.2}}
{{bar percent|[[Buddhism]]|Orange|12.8}}
{{bar percent|No religion|Yellow|1.2}}
{{bar percent|Others|Gray|0.5}}
}}

[[Christianity]] is the largest religion in Sarawak, representing 50.1% of the total population according to the 2020 census.<ref name="Malaysia census 2020"/> This makes Sarawak the only Malaysian state with a Christian majority. The earliest Christian missionaries in Sarawak were [[Church of England]] ([[Anglicans]]) in 1848, followed by [[Roman Catholics]] a few years later, and [[Methodists]] in 1903. Evangelization first took place among the Chinese immigrants before spreading to indigenous animists.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Carlo |first1=Caldarola |title=Religions and Societies, Asia and the Middle East |date=1982 |publisher=[[Walter de Gruyter]] |isbn=978-90-279-3259-4 |page=481 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=R1ME01zxL98C&pg=PA480 |access-date=15 December 2015}}</ref> Other Christian denominations in Sarawak are [[Borneo Evangelical Mission]] (or [[Sidang Injil Borneo]]),<ref>{{cite web |title=SIB & BEM – A Brief Introduction to Origin of SIB |url=http://sibgrace.org/about-us/sidang.html |publisher=SIB Grace |access-date=15 December 2015 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131126082044/http://sibgrace.org/about-us/sidang.html |archive-date=26 November 2013}}</ref> and [[Baptists]].<ref>{{cite web |title=List of Baptist churches in Sarawak |url=http://www.mbc.org.my/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=37&Itemid=60 |publisher=Malaysia Baptist Convention |access-date=15 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141020050431/http://www.mbc.org.my/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=37&Itemid=60 |archive-date=20 October 2014}}</ref> Indigenous people such as the Iban, Bidayuh, and Orang Ulu have adopted Christianity, although they do retain some of their traditional religious rites. Many Muslims come from the Malay and Melanau. [[Chinese Buddhism|Buddhism]], [[Taoism]], and [[Chinese folk religion in Southeast Asia|Chinese folk religion]] are predominantly practised by [[Chinese Malaysians]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Carl |first1=Skutsch |title=Encyclopedia of the World's Minorities |date=7 November 2013 |publisher=[[Routledge]] |isbn=978-1-135-19388-1 |page=781 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yXYKAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA781 |access-date=15 December 2015}}</ref> Other minor religions in Sarawak are the [[Baháʼí Faith]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Malaysia Bahai's – Sarawak |url=http://www.bahai.org.my/sarawak.html |website=bahai.org.my |access-date=1 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160331125648/http://bahai.org.my/sarawak.html |archive-date=31 March 2016}}</ref> [[Hinduism]],<ref>{{cite news |last1=Chieng |first1=Connie |title=Sarawak is a blessed land of harmony |url=http://www.newsarawaktribune.com/news/48486/Sarawak-is-a-blessed-land-of-harmony/ |access-date=1 April 2016 |publisher=New Sarawak Tribune |date=17 August 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160401152839/http://www.newsarawaktribune.com/news/48486/Sarawak-is-a-blessed-land-of-harmony/ |archive-date=1 April 2016}}</ref> [[Sikhism]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Sikh Temple |url=http://sarawaktourism.com/attraction/sikh-temple/ |publisher=Sarawak Tourism Board |access-date=1 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160310162532/http://sarawaktourism.com/attraction/sikh-temple/ |archive-date=10 March 2016}}</ref> and [[animism]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Animism is alive and well in South-East Asia: What can we learn? |url=http://www.pravdareport.com/hotspots/disasters/24-03-2014/127152-animism-0/ |access-date=1 April 2016 |publisher=[[Pravda.ru]] |date=24 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160401154021/http://www.pravdareport.com/hotspots/disasters/24-03-2014/127152-animism-0/ |archive-date=1 April 2016}}</ref>

Although Islam is the official religion of Malaysia, Sarawak has no official state religion.<ref>{{cite news |title=Explanation sought on real status of S'wak's official religion |url=http://www.theborneopost.com/2015/12/12/explanation-sought-on-real-status-of-swaks-official-religion/ |access-date=11 December 2015 |newspaper=The Borneo Post |date=12 December 2015 |quote=The Sarawak State Constitution is clear—Sarawak has no official religion, but the official website stated otherwise. This matter was pointed out by YB [[Baru Bian]] (Ba Kelalan assemblyman and state PKR chairman) in his letter to the state secretary in July this year, and no action was taken.}}</ref> However, during the chieftainship of Abdul Rahman Ya'kub, the Constitution of Sarawak was amended to make the Yang di-Pertuan Agong as the head of Islam in Sarawak and empower the state assembly to pass laws regarding Islamic affairs. With such provisions, Islamic policies can be formulated in Sarawak and the establishment of Islamic state agencies is possible. The 1978 Majlis Islam Bill enabled the setting up of [[Syariah Court]]s in Sarawak with jurisdictions over matrimonial, child custody, [[engagement|betrothal]], inheritance, and criminal cases in the state. An appeals court and Courts of Kadi were also formed.<ref name="Faisal"/><ref group=note>Faisal, 2012. Negri is empowered to make provisions for regulating Islamic affairs... (page 86)</ref>

<gallery mode="packed" caption="Religious sites in Sarawak">
File:St Joseph Church, Kuching, Malaysia.jpg|St. Joseph Cathedral
File:Sarawak State Mosque 02.jpg|Old Sarawak State Mosque
File:Hong San Si Temple 03.jpg|Hong San Si Temple
</gallery>