Interracial and interfaith relationships aren’t unique to Malaysia, but when the state sees ethnicity and religion as overlapping—and heavily regulates them—things get more complicated.
Under the Federal Constitution, Malays are required to be Muslims, and the Islamic law in Malaysia doesn’t allow one to leave the religion. According to the law, a non-Malay/non-Muslim who wishes to marry a Malay/Muslim must convert to Islam.
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