Churches council hails new Selangor guidelines for non-Muslim worship sites

 Council of Churches of Malaysia says the revised guidelines, among others, remove height restrictions for non-Muslim houses of worship.

Commercial, industrial and institutional properties in Selangor will now be officially permitted for use as non-Muslim places of worship.

PETALING JAYA:

The Council of Churches of Malaysia (CCM) has welcomed the Selangor government’s revised guidelines governing the construction of non-Muslim houses of worship, describing them as more inclusive and equitable.

In a statement today, CCM said the updated guidelines were presented during the third meeting between the Selangor state executive council and representatives of various faith groups at the state secretariat building in Shah Alam yesterday.

According to CCM, the revised guidelines remove height restrictions for non-Muslim houses of worship, provided their designs are compatible with surrounding developments.

Among the other key revisions is a provision stating that the new guidelines will only apply to future developments, with existing non-Muslim houses of worship unaffected.

Developers undertaking projects with at least 5,000 residents will be required to surrender a minimum of 0.6ha (1.5 acres) of land to be designated for non-Muslim houses of worship, along with providing adequate access roads and basic infrastructure such as water and electricity.

Commercial, industrial and institutional properties will now be officially permitted for use as non-Muslim places of worship, while access road and setback requirements for religious buildings will be made more flexible, subject to approval by local councils and the Selangor non-Islamic affairs committee.

“On behalf of its member churches and organisations, CCM extends our deep appreciation to the Selangor state executive council for listening to the concerns of non-Muslim communities by adopting these revised guidelines, which are more inclusive and fair,” it said.

CCM said the revised guidelines would take immediate effect this month and apply only in Selangor. - FMT