Editing Demographics of Malaysia (section)

==Religion==
{{Main|Religion in Malaysia}}
[[File:Malaysia religion by state 2020.jpg|thumb|right|alt=A Map of Malaysia showing religious statistics by state|Dominant religious confessions in [[Malaysia]] according to [[Census in Malaysia|2020 census]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.dosm.gov.my/v1/index.php?r=column/cthemeByCat&cat=117&bul_id=akliVWdIa2g3Y2VubTVSMkxmYXp1UT09&menu_id=L0pheU43NWJwRWVSZklWdzQ4TlhUUT09 | title=Department of Statistics Malaysia Official Portal }}</ref>
<br />
Dark green: Muslim majority > 50%
<br />
Light green: Muslim plurality < 50%
<br />
Blue: Christian majority > 50%
]]
[[Islam]] is the largest and state religion of Malaysia, although Malaysia is a multi-religious society and the Malaysian constitution guarantees [[religious freedom]]. Despite the recognition of Islam as the state religion, the first 4 prime ministers have stressed that Malaysia could function as a secular state. According to the Population and Housing Census 2020 figures, approximately 63.5 percent of the population practised Islam; 18.7 percent [[Buddhism]]; 9.1 percent Christianity; 6.1 percent [[Hinduism]]; and 2.7 percent practise other religions or reported having no religion or did not provide any information.<ref name="ReferenceA">{{Cite web |title=Department of Statistics Malaysia Official Portal |url=https://open.dosm.gov.my/dashboard/kawasanku |access-date=2023-02-17 |website=www.dosm.gov.my}}</ref> The percentage population of Muslims has been steadily increasing – from 58.6% in 1991, 60.4% in 2000, 61.5% in 2010, to 63.5% of the 2020 census.<ref name="2020 Census">{{cite web |author=Malaysian government statistics department |url=https://cloud.stats.gov.my/index.php/s/BG11nZfaBh09RaX#pdfviewer |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220418044258/https://cloud.stats.gov.my/index.php/s/BG11nZfaBh09RaX#pdfviewer |url-status=dead |archive-date=18 April 2022 |title=Key Findings Population and Housing Census 2020 |year=2020 |access-date=20 August 2022 }}</ref><ref name="Census 2000">{{Cite book|title=General Report of the Population and Housing Census 2000 |author=Department of Statistics, Malaysia |year=2005 |publisher=Department of Statistics, Malaysia |location=Putrajaya |isbn=978-983-9044-26-3 |pages=60–64 }}</ref>

The majority of [[Malaysian Indians]] follow Hinduism (84.5%), with a significant minority identifying as Christians (7.7%), Sikhs (3.9%), Muslims (3.8%), and 1,000 [[Jain]]s. Most [[Malaysian Chinese]] follow a combination of [[Buddhism]], [[Taoism]], [[Confucianism]] and [[ancestor-worship]] but, when pressed to specify their religion, will identify themselves as Buddhists. Statistics from the 2000 Census indicate that 75.9% of Malaysia's ethnic Chinese identify as Buddhist, with significant numbers of adherents following Taoism (10.6%) and [[Christianity]] (9.6%), along with small [[Hui people|Hui-Muslim]] populations in areas like [[Penang]].<ref name="Census 2000" /> Christianity constitutes a slim majority of the non-Malay [[Bumiputra]] community (50.1%) with an additional 36.3% identifying as Muslims while 7.3% follow [[folk religion]].<ref name="Census 2000" />

===Islam===
{{Main|Islam in Malaysia}}
[[File:Around-Kota-Bharu-(19).jpg|thumb|alt=The wooden Kampung Laut mosque with its minaret and an onion-shaped dome on its tiled roof.|[[Kampung Laut Mosque]] in Tumpat is one of the oldest mosques in Malaysia, dating to early 18th century]]
[[Islam]] is thought to have been brought to Malaysia around the 12th century by [[Arab people|Arab]] traders.<ref name="islam01">{{cite book |title=A History of Malaysia |pages=52–53 |author=Barbara Watson Andaya, Leonard Y. Andaya |isbn=978-0-333-27672-3 |year=1984 |publisher=MacMillan Press Ltd |location=Basingstoke, Hampshire, UK|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5GSBCcNn1fsC&pg=PA52}}</ref> Since then the religion has become the predominant religion of the country and is recognised as the state's official religion. All ethnic [[Malay (ethnic group)|Malays]] are considered Muslim by [[Article 160 of the Constitution of Malaysia]].<ref>{{Sourcetext|source=Constitution of Malaysia|verse=Article 160 (2) |range=-1}}</ref>

Muslims are obliged to follow the decisions of [[Syariah Court|Syariah]] courts in matters concerning their religion. The Islamic judges are expected to follow the [[Shafi`i]] legal school of Islam, which is the main [[madh'hab]] of Malaysia.<ref>{{Cite book
  | last = Peletz
  | first = Michael
  | author-link = Michael G. Peletz
  | title = Islamic modern: religious courts and cultural politics in Malaysia
  | publisher=Princeton University Press
  | year = 2002
  | location = Princeton
  | pages = 84–85
  | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=q4TA4hjqjJ0C
  | isbn = 978-0-691-09508-0}}</ref> The jurisdiction of [[Sharia]]h courts is limited only to Muslims in matters such as marriage, [[inheritance]], divorce, [[apostasy]], [[religious conversion]], and custody among others. No other criminal or civil offences are under the jurisdiction of the Shariah courts, which have a similar hierarchy to the [[Courts of Malaysia|Civil Courts]]. Despite being the supreme courts of the land, the Civil Courts (including the Federal Court) do not hear matters related to Islamic practices,<ref>{{cite web |last=Mahathir |first=Marina |url=http://www.commongroundnews.org/article.php?id=28311&lan=en&sid=1&sp=0&isNew=0 |title=Malaysia moving forward in matters of Islam and women by Marina Mahathir – Common Ground News Service |publisher=Commongroundnews.org |date=17 August 2010 |access-date=14 September 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101222100655/http://www.commongroundnews.org/article.php?id=28311&lan=en&sid=1&sp=0&isNew=0 |archive-date=22 December 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref> as ratified by [[Mahathir Mohamad]] in the late 1980s. Regulation of sexual activities among the Muslim population is strict; with laws prohibiting unmarried couples from occupying a secluded area or a confined space to prevent suspicion of acts forbidden in [[Islam]].<ref>Jennifer Pak, [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/8439899.stm "Unmarried couples caught in Malaysia hotel raids"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220330222315/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/8439899.stm |date=30 March 2022 }}, ''BBC News'', 4 January 2010</ref>