Is Buddhist population declining in Malaysia

Basing on the report on the National Population Census 2000, Malaysian citizens of the Buddhist faith comprised 20.2% of the total citizens of the country.

The National Population Census 2010 was launched this week and enumerators are going from house to house to conduct the census. When the census are over and report published, what will be the number of Buddhists in this country? Will it increased, reduced or remained the same? If the percentage increases, will it be due to natural procreation amongst the Buddhist populace or the results of persistent missionary activities by Buddhist groups in the country.

But if the percentage drops, what will be the reasons that causes the number of Buddhists in Malaysia declining? Maybe Buddhist parents did not teaches their children their own religion? Or the Buddhist monks, nuns and lay preachers did not work hard enough for the last ten years? Or the loss of the followers due to conversion to other religions or they just declared themselves as not adhering to any religion.

If the percentage and total reduces due to the possibility of more people declaring themselves as no-religion or atheist, then the situation can be serious enough for all stake haolders in the Buddhist community to do the necessary to educate these Buddhist-by-birth to know more about their own religion.

As the national population census report will be used as a reference to help the government to plan for the country development in different sectors, the numbers of Buddhists in the country will be taken into consideration when the federal and state governments deliberate on the need of the community. This is especially so in matters related to the allocation of religious land and also financial allocation to built and maintain Buddhist temples.

As numbers speaks for itself, it is therefore very urgent and most important for all Buddhist temples and centres in the country to urge their devotees and those once-a-year (Wesak) Buddhists to declare themselves as Buddhists in the census form. - Loka