Malaysia: Minorities Warned Not to Question Islam

The Associated Press reports that Malaysian officials warned minorities against voicing complaints about privileges enjoy by ethnic Malay people and questioning Islam. The sultans of nine states joined to issue the statement, saying such questioning "can lead to disunity and racial strife that can undermine the peace and harmony." An estimated 60 percent of Malaysia's population is Muslim, with non-Muslim Chinese and Indians making a significant minority. "It (the warning) is quite unprecedented and I think it is coming in response to what the country is facing -- what the rulers perceive as the fracturing of racial harmony," said Tricia Yeoh of Center for Policy Research think-tank. This combination of racial-religious tensions has become more apparent in the last year.