Malaysia

Anwar reminds all parties to stick to the laws when preaching, building houses of worship

Anwar said that while freedom of worship is guaranteed in the country, all parties must abide by set rules and procedures.

Updated 5 months ago · Published on 19 Feb 2026 10:19AM

Anwar reminds all parties to stick to the laws when preaching, building houses of worship
"There are no restrictions on prayers or the construction of temples ... but everything must be done according to the law," said Anwar - February 19, 2026

ALL religious activities, including dakwah (preaching) and the construction of houses of worship, must be carried out in accordance with the set regulations and laws.

Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, once again stressed that the government has never restricted the efforts or religious practices of any party, but it cannot be done arbitrarily without complying with existing guidelines.

“I am aware of these dakwah activities. “By all means, carry out dakwah. There are no restrictions as such. But it must be done in accordance with the law.

“Pray as much as you want. Build hundreds of temples, but follow the regulations. We do not restrict it at all … the laws are there,” he said during a meeting with the Prime Minister and members of the Home Ministry (KDN) today.

He added that the notion that suraus can be built anywhere without following procedures is incorrect and contrary to the law.

"Some people answer like that, 'Oh, suraus can be built anywhere'. That's not true. I know in our history, suraus in Perak have been demolished because they didn't follow the rules.

"So, I think we should resolve these issues properly. If we continue like this, the country will not be peaceful," he said.

Recently, independent preacher Firdaus Wong Wai Hung questioned the actions of the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) in seizing a tent belonging to the Multiracial Reverted Muslims (MRM) in Bukit Bintang in the capital on Tuesday.

Through his latest statement on Facebook, Firdaus claimed that DBKL gave the excuse that the tent was blocking the road.

Last week, the Prime Minister stressed that all parties must respect the rules and handle any sensitive issues with courtesy without insulting any religion or belief.

Anwar said that Islam is the religion of the Federation and the majority of Malaysians are Muslims, but that should not be an excuse for anyone to insult the practices of non-Muslim communities, and vice versa.  – February 19, 2026

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