Church Demolished By Authorities

Photos from Salem Voice

Government authorities demolished a church belonging to the "Orang Asli" tribe of indigenous Christians in Kuala Lumpur, Kentan State on June 8. The authorities claimed that the church was built without state permission. However, according to a local church leader, the land is owned by the village head and they have the lawful right to use it for their own purposes. Local Christians have rejected the district office's suggestion to rebuild a "community center" at another site and intend on reconstructing the church in its original location.

Pray that these Christians will be encouraged to meet together for worship and prayer, despite opposition. Pray that Christians in Malaysia will continue to remain faithful, united in heart and mind.

The feature article of the July edition of The Voice of the Martyrs Newsletter will focus on the difficulties facing Christians in Malaysia. To subscribe today, click here. Recently, the Malaysian government banned a number of Christian books on the grounds that they "undermined the faith of Muslims." To view a list of these books, click here.

For more information on persecution in Malaysia, click here.

  • Country Information

    Population
    34,219,975 (2023 est.)

    Ethnicity (%)
    Bumiputera (63.8 - Malays and indigenous peoples), Chinese (20.6), Indian (6), others (0.6), non-citizens (9)

    Religion (%)
    Muslim (63.5), Buddhist (18.7), Christian (9.1), Hindu (6.1), Confucianism, Taoism, other traditional Chinese religions (0.9), Other (1.8),

    Leader
    King Sultan Ibrahim ibni al-Marhum Sultan Iskandar (2024)

    Government type
    Federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy

    Legal system
    Mixed legal system of English common law, Islamic law, and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Federal Court at request of supreme head of the federation

    Source: CIA World Factbook

  • Pray for Malaysia

    Pray that Christians will stand firm in their faith, despite opposition

    Pray that Malaysian Christians will be free to practice their faith in Jesus Christ.

    Pray that all Christians in Malaysia will be able to freely access the Bible.

Malaysia News

  • Raymond Koh's Wife Demands Answers
    Raymond Koh is posing with his wife, two daughters, and son.
    Raymond Koh and his family.
    Photo: VOM USA

    Pastor Raymond Koh was no stranger to persecution when he was abducted off the streets of Malaysia on February 13th, 2017. The incident was caught on security cameras and, although no information about Pastor Raymond's captors has ever been released by the authorities, it is believed that government security forces were responsible for the incident. Video footage of the abduction is available here. For previously published reports about the missing pastor, see this list.

  • Fifth Anniversary of Pastor Raymond Koh's Disappearance
    Pastor Raymond Koh, Jonathan (son), Susanna (wife), and Esther (daughter)
    Pastor Raymond Koh, Jonathan (son),
    Susanna (wife), and Esther (daughter)
    Photo (family): Free Malaysia Today

    On February 13th, 2017, surveillance cameras captured Pastor Raymond Koh being forced to bring his vehicle to a sudden stop before masked men abducted him in an operation that appeared to be executed with military precision. The abducted pastor has not been seen nor heard from since the incident. Under suspicion of state police for attempting to convert ethnic Malays to Christianity, Pastor Raymond and his wife Susanna received death threats prior to the incident.