Bersama duo urges Selangor to review non-Muslim houses of worship guidelines

 

Parti Bersama Malaysia de facto leaders Rafizi Ramli and Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad have joined calls for the Selangor government to review controversial guidelines governing non-Muslim houses of worship.

In a statement today, the duo expressed solidarity with Petaling Jaya MP Lee Chean Chung, who recently raised concerns over the 2025 Planning Guidelines for Non-Islamic Places of Worship, approved by the state executive council last November.

“Lee appears to be standing alone in voicing an issue that has caused concern among Malaysians affected by these new regulations,” the duo said.

The Selangor State Planning Guidelines and Standards for Community Facilities 2025 were approved in a state exco meeting in November 2025.

However, they only came into public focus on May 23 this year after Lee raised concerns over clauses affecting non-Muslim houses of worship in commercial zones.

Petaling Jaya MP Lee Chean Chung

Although the Selangor government has announced that these guidelines have not yet been enforced, Rafizi and Nik Nazmi noted its approval and reference to local authorities responsible for approving and regulating applications for non-Islamic places of worship.

“We believe that regulations of this nature should not be formulated solely through administrative processes based on proposals from government departments that view the matter purely from administrative and management perspectives.

“No matter how comprehensive the regulations may appear from the standpoint of present and future administrative planning, if they are not accepted by those affected, they will create problems and spark sensitive controversies in the future,” stressed the two former ministers.

Fresh consultations

As such, they argued that local authorities should be given room to exercise discretion and accommodate local circumstances when handling applications for places of worship, rather than being bound exclusively by state-level guidelines.

They also urged other political parties to publicly state their positions on the issue, saying it should not be treated merely as an administrative matter.

Further, the duo called on the Selangor government to bring the guidelines back to the exco for reconsideration and revoke the version approved in November 2025 pending fresh consultations.

“The views obtained through this process can then be considered in developing a new draft set of guidelines.

“That draft should undergo a final round of discussions with religious representatives, communities, local leaders, NGOs and other stakeholders before being brought back to the exco meeting for approval,” they said.

On Wednesday, the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism, and Taoism (MCCBCHST) raised a series of concerns about the paused guidelines, with alternative proposals.

Among the concerns highlighted were restrictions on establishing non-Islamic places of worship in commercial zones, limits on the height of religious structures, requirements preventing direct access to main roads, and a population ratio stipulating one place of worship for every 5,000 residents. - Mkini