The Impact of Malaysia’s Dual Legal System on Religious Freedom

Malaysia maintains a unique dual legal system divided into civil and religious courts. In recent decades, the influence of these religious courts, which are based on the Shaf’i school of Sunni Islamic jurisprudence, have grown, adversely impacting religious freedom. Since 2014, USCIRF has been reporting on Malaysia and most recently in 2022 recommended that the U.S. State Department place Malaysia on its Special Watch List (SWL) for religious freedom violations. USCIRF Policy Analyst Patrick Greenwalt joins us today to provide an overview of Malaysia’s legal system and discuss some high-profile cases directly related to freedom of religion or belief.Read USCIRF’s 2022 Annual Report Chapter on MalaysiaWith Contributions from: Dwight Bashir, Director of Outreach and Policy, USCIRFPatrick Greenwalt, Policy Analyst, USCIRFDylan Schexnaydre, Victims List and Outreach Specialist, USCIRF