Selangor revises house of worship rules, removes height cap and eases zoning limits

 

The Council of Churches of Malaysia (CCM) said Selangor has revised its controversial planning guidelines, removing height restrictions on non-Muslim houses of worship and permitting such premises to be built on commercial, industrial, and institutional land.

When contacted by Malaysiakini, Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari’s press secretary, Jay Jay Denis, confirmed the details, including that the revised guidelines will take effect immediately.

“It’ll take two weeks for the circular to be streamlined across all local councils.

“The guidelines have been amended in agreement with all religious associations and confirmed by the state government,” he said.

Meanwhile, CCM said it was informed of the changes at a meeting yesterday between the state executive council and religious groups, chaired by Ng Sze Han, who is co-chairperson of the Special Committee on Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Sikh, and Tao Religious Affairs (Limas).

In a statement today, CCM said the revised Selangor State Community Facilities Planning Guidelines and Standards 2025 would also provide greater flexibility on access roads and setback requirements for non-Muslim houses of worship, subject to approval by local authorities and Limas.

Selangor state executive councillor Ng Sze Han

For new developments with at least 5,000 residents, developers will be required to surrender a minimum of 1.5 acres (0.6 hectares) of land to be designated for non-Muslim houses of worship. They must also provide adequate access roads and basic infrastructure, including water and electricity, CCM said.

It added that Limas would act as a mediator or arbitrator in disputes involving property owners and local authorities.

“These new guidelines come into immediate effect (June 2026), and they only apply to the state of Selangor," it said. However, CCM noted that the guidelines have yet to be published.

It expressed appreciation to the state executive council for the revisions, describing the amended guidelines as “more inclusive and fair”.

Delayed after controversy, objections

The guidelines were originally approved at a Selangor state executive council meeting in November 2025, but were put on hold after drawing controversy.

They then drew public scrutiny after Petaling Jaya MP Lee Chean Chung raised concerns in May over provisions barring non-Muslim houses of worship from commercial zones.

Petaling Jaya MP Lee Chean Chung

The Selangor government subsequently clarified that the guidelines would apply only to future developments and would not affect existing commercial areas.

Ng later announced that implementation would be suspended pending further consultations with religious groups.

Earlier this month, Malaysia Hindu Sangam president Ganesan Thangavelu argued that several provisions could conflict with constitutional guarantees of equality and freedom of religion.

Among the concerns raised were restrictions on the height of non-Muslim houses of worship, limitations on direct access to main roads, smaller land allocations, and differing planning requirements based on religion.

Similarly, the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism, and Taoism (MCCBCHST) described the guidelines as restrictive, saying the requirement for at least 5,000 non-Muslim residents before a house of worship could be established may disproportionately affect smaller religious communities, including Sikhs. - Mkini