The Muslim majority in Malaysia are "increasingly imposing restrictive views and norms" on minorities, impacting freedom of religion, said a United States government report.

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) 2017 said there is a "heightened fear" of the government's pro-Malay Muslim policies and its effect on the daily lives of minorities.

It said this in the report ranking Malaysia on Tier 2, alongside Afghanistan, Bahrain, Cuba, Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Khazakhstan, Laos and Turkey.

"Majority Malay Muslims increasingly impose restrictive views and norms upon ethnic and religious minorities that not only impact these groups’ ability to practice their faith freely, but also constrain their everyday lives.

"Religious and ethnic minorities have expressed growing concerns about the government’s pro-Malay Muslim policies and subsequent limitations on their right to practice their beliefs freely...