Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi dismissed today a United States Government report accusing Malaysia of favouring certain religions.
He also abruptly cut short a Press conference this afternoon when he was asked by a TV3 reporter to respond to the report.
"Ask the Christians, Buddhists and Hindus who have their churches and temples here," he said. "We are going to celebrate Christmas and Chinese New Year, including organising open house for different celebrations in Malaysia." The Prime Minister had earlier opened the Islamic Economic Development Week at Putra World Trade Centre here.
The accusation was contained in the fifth annual International Religious Freedom Report 2003 released by the US Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labour.
Malaysia was listed alongside Belarus, Eritrea, Moldova, Turkey, Brunei, Indonesia, Israel and Russia as among nine countries with laws or policies that favoured certain religions and placed others at a disadvantage.
Inviting US representatives to visit Malaysia and witness the different religions practised freely here, Abdullah said: "If I had to say it myself, the representatives would not believe me." Malaysia's religious freedom, he said, was proven when its citizens celebrated together the various festivities of the major religions.
"We even celebrate Deepavali together," he said. "The Government which is led by Muslims will join the celebrations. Not too long from now we will celebrate Christmas, we will hold more open house. What they (State Department) are saying is all not true." Moments later, Abdullah stopped the Press conference and reporters heard him saying, as he was leaving, that he was in no mood to talk about other matters.
The report had claimed that while Malaysia's Constitution provided for religious freedom, the Government had placed certain restrictions on other religions.
"There is no change in the status of respect for religious freedom during the period covered by this report," the report said. "Religious minorities generally worship freely, although with some restrictions." The Malaysian Government, the report said, enforced some restrictions on the establishment of non-Muslims' places of worship and on the activities of political opponents in mosques.