What percentage of Malaysian Muslims see Muslim extremists as a threat?

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Fifty-Eight Percent of Malaysian Muslims Perceive Muslim Extremists as a Threat

A recent survey indicates that 58 per cent of Malaysian Muslims polled identified "Muslim extremists" as one of the most significant threats to their faith. This perception is part of a broader set of anxieties regarding external influences and the perceived growth of other religious communities within Malaysia.
Perceived Threats to Islamic Faith

The survey, conducted between June 1 and September 4, 2022, among 13,122 adults across six Asian countries, found that in Malaysia, over half of the Muslim respondents highlighted three primary concerns. The influence of the United States was cited by 59 per cent, followed closely by "Muslim extremists" at 58 per cent, and a "growing number of Christians" at 52 per cent. Additional concerns included the "growing number of Buddhists" (49 per cent), the "influence of China" (49 per cent), and tourists from other countries (31 per cent).
Broader Regional Context for Extremist Concerns

The findings align with a broader trend observed in the survey across six Asian countries, where both Muslims and Buddhists generally identified extremists from their own religious groups as a significant threat to their respective faiths. The report, titled "Buddhism, Islam and Religious Pluralism in South and Southeast Asia," noted that highly educated adults were more likely than those with less education to hold this view. This suggests that education levels can play a role in how individuals perceive religious extremism as a threat.
Comparison with Previous Surveys

This finding represents a shift from a Pew Research Center report a decade prior, released in September 2013. That earlier survey found 70 per cent of Malaysian Muslims were concerned about "Islamic extremism," indicating a slight decrease in the proportion expressing this concern in the more recent poll. However, the 2013 survey also detailed varying justifications for violence, with 22 per cent of respondents finding "suicide bombing and other forms of violence against civilian targets" sometimes justified to defend Islam, a sentiment that has seen a notable decline in the latest findings.
Views on Violence and Religious Growth

The latest survey also shed light on perceptions of violence. At least half of the respondents across the six countries stated that violence against people due to their political beliefs or religion can never be justified. In Malaysia specifically, 76 per cent of those polled held this view, asserting that such violence can "never" or "rarely" be justified. This contrasts with the 2013 survey, where a significant minority of Malaysian Muslims found religiously-linked violence, such as suicide bombings, sometimes or often justified, though the majority still deemed it never justified.

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What percentage of Malaysian Muslims see Muslim extremists as a threat?

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