The Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) today assured that Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad's declaration of Malaysia as an "Islamic state" last September will not affect the religious freedom in the country.

The topic was brought up at a closed-door meeting today with the Malaysian Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) at its headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.

The meeting was attended by representatives from the Malaysian Consultative Congress of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism and Sikhism, Institute of Islamic Understanding (Ikim), Sisters in Islam and the Malaysian Muslim Scholars Association, among others.

"Jakim clarified that although Malaysia has been called an Islamic state, other religions can be practised freely," said Suhakam chairperson Abu Talib Othman.