Pray for: Malaysia

Malaysian society faces an uncertain future. The Malay- and Islam-centric UMNO party dominated Malaysia’s political scene from independence. It followed policies that favoured ethnic Malays, but enriched a small proportion of them at the expense of everyone else. The gap between rich and poor increased as a result. At the same time, minorities felt frustrated with the discrimination and government corruption. UMNO was defeated in the 2018 elections, and its corrupt leader put in jail. This, along with the 2022 election, signalled a new era in politics in Malaysia. Pray for the leaders, who must seek to hold the country together in ways that satisfy both moderate and conservative Muslims, as well as the sizeable and diverse minorities.

Pray for the less evangelized. The Malaysian Church has the resources and cultural knowledge to reach them, but it also needs the courage and commitment. The Malays are one of the world’s largest unreached groups. Some now worship in house groups and multi-ethnic churches, but no public congregation of ethnic Malays exists. The Orang Asli of Peninsular Malaysia (PM) are original inhabitants of the Malaysian peninsula. The Malay-dominated government considers them Muslim, but most practise animism. 8 of the 19 groups have no churches or believers.