Envisioned by Zia H Shah MD, Chief Editor of the Muslim Times and the commentator of the Quran in this blog

Abstract

The Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur stand as luminous pillars of modernity above Malaysia’s diverse cultural landscape. Malaysia in 2025 is a pluralistic nation of about 36 million people. It is predominantly Muslim – roughly 63.5% of Malaysians follow Islam – with Buddhism being the second-largest faith at about 18.7%. This demographic landscape reflects an ongoing transition: ethnic Malay and other Bumiputera communities now form nearly 70% of the citizenry, while the ethnic Chinese minority (historically almost half the population in the mid-20th century) has declined to around 22%, due in part to lower birth rates and other trend. Amid these shifts, a new chapter is unfolding – one of interfaith engagement between Malaysia’s Muslim majority and its Buddhist (largely Chinese) minority, grounded in shared values of compassion and wisdom. The promise of this emerging Muslim–Buddhist dialogue is profound: it could reinforce national harmony and unleash an “unprecedented tsunami of knowledge, wisdom and spirituality,” benefitting not only Malaysia but also resonating across Asia and beyond:

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