A critical analysis of religious freedom among Buddhists and Taoist in Pasir Mas, Kelantan

Abstract

This study investigates the lived religious experiences of the Chinese and Siamese minority communities practising Taoism and Buddhism in Pasir Mas, Kelantan. While the Malaysian Federal Constitution guarantees religious freedom, examining how these rights are actualised at the grassroots level in a predominantly Malay Muslim state requires deep empirical investigation. Grounded in Minority Rights Theory and the Sociological Theory of Religion, this research addresses the problem of how these minority groups practically navigate their constitutional freedoms to maintain their temples and rituals without facing social exclusion or religious discrimination. The primary objectives of this study are to explore the origins, teachings, and development of Taoism and Buddhism in Kelantan, to identify the core religious practices of these communities, and to critically analyse the extent of religious freedom they experience. Employing a qualitative phenomenological research design, the study utilised a methodology comprising in-depth semi-structured interviews, non-participant field observations, and document analysis. Fieldwork was conducted over a comprehensive sixteen-month period and involved 20 purposefully selected key informants, including religious leaders, religious scholars, temple caretakers, and devotees across the religious sites in Pasir Mas. The gathered data were thematically analysed using Atlas.ti software to identify recurring meanings and adaptive strategies. The findings reveal that the Chinese and Siamese communities experience a high degree of religious freedom in executing their five core practices: praying, meditating, fasting, practising vegetarianism, and celebrating festivals. Analytically, these integrated cultural and religious practices function as a vital social glue that preserves their distinct identities while facilitating their harmonious integration. The state’s protective legal landscape, intersecting with community level mutual respect and active tolerance, empowers these minorities to practise their faith without undue constraint. The study concludes that constitutional religious freedom in Kelantan successfully translates into genuine interfaith coexistence at the community level. By offering empirical evidence of socioreligious accommodation, this research contributes significantly to the academic discourse on minority rights and the sociology of religion, providing a successful model of multicultural harmony and national integration for Malaysia.