8/272025 Malaysia (International Christian Concern) — Since the late 1960s, Malaysia has pursued a deliberate and multifaceted process of Islamization, driven by the dakwah movement and state policies that have embedded Islamic principles into education, politics, and demographics.  

This transformation has significantly undermined religious freedom, particularly in Sabah, which shifted from a secular state in the 1960s to an Islamic one, in direct violation of the 1963 Malaysia Agreement (MA63).  

The recent announcement by the Malaysian Islamic Propagation Foundation (Yadim) to expand its preacher network in Sabah underscores the persistence of this agenda, raising concerns about the erosion of religious freedom, indigenous rights, and the large-scale conversion of Christian youth. 

The dakwah movement, ignited in the late 1960s amid ethnic tensions, politicized Islam through university-based networks inspired by the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood. It branded secular elites as “un-Islamic” and advocated for expanded religious instruction. By the 1980s, under Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, the government co-opted dakwah leaders, establishing institutions like the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) in 1983 to “Islamize knowledge.”  

This initiative integrated Islamic perspectives into fields like science and economics, sidelining Western secular frameworks. Universities such as Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM) and Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) further entrenched revivalist ideologies. 

Dakwah proponents rose to prominent roles in academia and the civil service, embedding Islamic values across generations through mandatory Islamic studies, Quran competitions, and policies like “Penyerapan Nilai-Nilai Islam” (Infusion of Islamic Values).  

This has fostered a conservative mindset, positioning education as a tool for cultural dominance. In Sabah, once a secular stronghold, federal mandates have imposed Islamic curricula and dakwah campaigns targeting indigenous communities, eroding Christian-majority traditions.  

Notably, Christian youth are being converted in large numbers through these educational initiatives, which prioritize Islamic teachings over religious diversity. Yadim’s recent plan to increase its da’i (preachers) in Sabah from 28 to 40 by August 2025, focusing on rural Quran and Fardu Ain classes, intensifies these efforts, accelerating conversions among non-Muslim, particularly Christian, youth and young adults. 

In Sabah, the 1973 constitutional amendment declaring Islam the state religion violated MA63’s guarantee of religious freedom, marking a significant breach of the agreement’s secular framework. 

UMNO’s expansion into Sabah in the 1990s, coupled with dakwah initiatives, aligned local politics with federal Islamization, marginalizing indigenous rights. Yadim’s August 2025 courtesy visit to Sabah’s head of state, Tun Musa Aman, signals continued political collaboration to promote Islamic values across sectors, framed under the Malaysia Madani vision.  

Despite claims of moderation by Yadim President Datuk Dr. Hasan Bahrom, this approach masks systemic biases that prioritize dakwah’s reach over religious freedom, contributing to the conversion of Christian youth and young adults in significant numbers. 

Demographically, Islamization has reshaped Malaysia by reinforcing Malay-Muslim identity, which constitutes roughly 63.5% of the population, through bumiputera privileges.  

In Sabah, the controversial Project IC (1980s–1990s) granted citizenship to Muslim immigrants from the Philippines and Indonesia, inflating the Muslim population to over one-third and flipping Sabah’s Christian-majority status. This state-orchestrated scheme, intertwined with dakwah conversion efforts, has led to the large-scale conversion of Christian youth and other indigenous Christians, aiming to consolidate political control and assimilate native populations. 

These changes starkly contravene MA63’s vision of a secular Sabah free from demographic manipulation. Churches and NGOs have condemned this as a profound betrayal, arguing it undermines religious freedom and fuels tensions.  

Yadim’s intensified outreach in Sabah’s rural heartlands, supported by digital platforms like TikTok and WhatsApp, further drives these dynamics, facilitating conversions, particularly among Christian youth, and tilting the demographic balance. 

A Challenge to Religious Freedom as Malaysia’s dakwah-driven Islamization, exemplified by Yadim’s expansion in Sabah, continues to challenge the nation’s commitment to religious freedom. While presented as moderate and youth-focused, these efforts deepen societal divisions, dishonor foundational agreements like MA63, and contribute to the large-scale conversion of Christian youth and young adults.  

With annual dakwah funding estimated at MYR 50 million ($11.8 million), organizations like Yadim prioritize Islamic propagation over inclusivity, raising critical questions about the future of religious freedom and indigenous rights in Sabah.  

As Malaysia grapples with its identity, the tension between Malay-Islamic supremacy and religious freedom remains a defining issue for its diverse regions. 

To read more news stories, visit the ICC Newsroom. For interviews, please email press@persecution.org. To support ICC’s work around the world, please give to our Where Most Needed Fund.