Northern Ireland MP Jim Shannon raised concerns if freedom of religion would be restricted in Malaysia under the Perikatan Nasional government.
“Muhyiddin Yassin was sworn in as Malaysia's eighth prime minister on Sunday morning leading to political unrest.
“Rhetoric against non-Muslims escalated following the change in prime minister and radical Muslim groups are being emboldened to propose that the new government pursues an agenda that will significantly limit the right of freedom of religion or belief in Malaysia.
“Will the leader of the House make a statement on this urgent and very pressing matter?” he said in the British House of Commons.
A video clip of the House proceedings was uploaded by whistleblower site Sarawak Report.
House Leader Jacob Rees Mogg then spoke about how the UK is committed to defending and respecting freedom of religion as it is of such fundamental importance.
“Freedom of religion and freedom of speech are vital and interconnected rights and exercising these rights require stability, restraint and judgement from everyone.
“The UK is committed to defending the freedom of religion and belief and promoting respect between communities of different religions and those of no religion,” he said.
There have been concerns on how the new government would handle the issues of race and religion as Perikatan Nasional comprises mainly of Malay-Muslim lawmakers, including those from the Islamsit party PAS.
The new government was installed after the swearing-in of Bersatu president Muhyiddin as prime minister on Sunday.
This came after a week of political turmoil which saw allegiances redrawn and the collapse of the 21-month-old Pakatan Harapan government.
In his maiden address, Muhyiddin vowed that he would be a prime minister for all.
"I am a prime minister for all Malaysians, from Perlis to Sabah. Saudara (friend), whether you are Malay, Chinese, Indian, Sikh, Iban, Kadazan, Dusun, Murut, Orang Asli or any race or ethnicity, I am your prime minister, saudara," he said. - Mkini
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