Published by: Kairos Research Centre
Christian leaders in Malaysia have often experienced anxiety over the legality of some church practices, some of which may be subject to the nation’s laws and regulations. This anxiety usually stem from their lack of knowledge and understanding of the relevant laws and legal processes in the country.
Examples: Is it legal to use shoplots or residential premises as church buildings for worship or church activities? Is it an offence to distribute Christian literature and audio-visual materials in the Malay language? Must we print the phrase ‘For non-Muslims’ only on all Christian literature? Can a church allow illegal immigrants to worship and/or take part in its activities?
These and other questions are answered in Doing the Right Thing: A Practical Guide on Legal Matters for Churches in Malaysia. The handbook aims to provide the Christian community with a basic understanding of relevant laws, and give Christians the peace of mind to profess, practise and share their faith – a right that is entrenched in the Federal Constitution. The publisher however cautioned that the book served only to equip Christians with a basic knowledge of the law and is not intended to replace specific legal advice.
Written with the help of several Christian lawyers, the book is designed for easy reference. It addresses nine subject matters, including church organisation, church building, ownership and management of church property, propagation, police investigation and public meetings. Matters of interest not included in the nine topics are put together at the end of the book under the chapter ‘Miscellaneous’.
As laws sometimes change in response to changing situations, Kairos hopes to update the handbook from time to time to make it relevant to Church. The book is available at RM10 each from Kairos (tel. 03-7726 5420, e-mail enquiries@kairos-malaysia.org) and Christian bookshops.
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