Malaysia is a federal constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system of government. The country is separated by the South China Sea into two parts, Peninsular Malaysia and Malaysian Borneo. Located in the heart of South East Asia, Malaysia is surrounded by other countries such as Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines, Vietnam and Brunei. Malaysia’s capital is Kuala Lumpur.
Malaysia’s official religion is Islam. However, the freedom of religion is also guaranteed by the constitution. Of the 28 million Malaysians (Malays, Chinese and other ethnic groups), 60.4 per cent are Muslims. Malays (the largest ethnic group) are generally Muslims. There are also Indian Muslims and a small number of Chinese Muslim converts. Although the previous and present Prime Ministers have made proclamations that Malaysia is an Islamic nation, certain segments of the population have resisted this status, pointing to the nation’s secular constitution. Proselytizing Muslims is prohibited by law and conversion out of Islam is also forbidden.
Believers from a Muslim background are few in number. Many worship in house churches and retain their Islamic clothing and some cultural customs to avoid detection and harassment. In many cases, they discovered the Messiah through a direct divine encounter. Though they are few in number, they are courageous in their witness and their faith.
Prayer ideas
- Pray for believers to open up their hearts to their Muslim neighbours and to be a blessing to them in practical, concrete ways.
- Pray for more divine encounters to occur among the the Malays (see Acts 10:17-48)
- Pray for believers to be courageous while extending the hand of fellowship and assistance to new people (it can be risky).