Muslims make up just over half of Malaysia's 23 million people, but they are in the majority in Terengganu.This is a really important topic, vannrox. Thanks for posting, and I hope you keep it bumped to the top for the Monday Freepers.
Statistics in parts of Europe show that Muslims are making similar gains, are not assimilating. Can Muslim laws be far behind? Welcome to the cultural stone age.
Malaysia is a little complicated. The population mix is not due to a recent influx of immigrants - it was immigration during the years when Malaysia was a British colony - it gained independence in 1957. But then, Malaysia has been a country of immigrants - it is just a matter of who came when. The Muslims were there earlier than the Chinese(who were mostly Buddhists/Confucians and Christians and the Indians(mostly Hindus)(both of whom came when the country was a Colony).
Certain states have a bigger Muslim population than others, Trengganu being one. So there the state gov. may be more extreme than other state govs.
You are right about the 'not assimilating' part though. Anyways, if you want to learn more about Malaysia, the CIA Factbook is a reasonably good place. Also, Sir V.S. Naipaul has written some good pieces about about Malaysia and the Muslim society in it - don't recall which book it was in.
Just my 0.02 cents
I'll bump that because the integration of most muslims failed in the Netherlands. Not just on language, but we found out after 9/11 they imported fundamentalist imams who preach against the West.