Islam is the official religion of Malaysia. Government statistics in 2000 noted that about 60.4 percent of the population was Muslim, while Buddhism was the second most adhered to faith, comprising 19.2 percent of the population. 9.1 percent of the remaining population was Christian; 6.3 percent Hindu; 2.6 Confucian, Taoist, and other Chinese faiths; 0.8 percent belonged to tribal and folk religions; and 0.4 percent were adherents of other faiths. Another 0.8 percent professed no faith, and the religious affiliation of 0.4 percent was listed as unknown.
While religious freedom is officially guaranteed under the Malaysian constitution, the meaninging of this freedom is disputed over by different parties. Therefore, religious freedom is a highly contentious political issue in Malaysia that is debated openly by politicians, human rights activists, lawyers' groups, journalists, and other sectors of civil society. Many non-Muslims express concern about the Muslim majority's commitment to religious freedom and freedom of expression and call for interfaith dialogue; many Muslims perceive these concerns as an attack on Islam's officially respected position. Although religious freedom concerns are debated openly and actively in Malaysia, there have been few political resolutions, as Malaysia's courts and parliament have failed to address some of the most problematic issues.