KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 21 ― Non-Muslims enjoy total religious freedom in Malaysia, Datuk Seri Najib Razak said today, despite a ban on Christians from referring to God as “Allah” and previous incidents of bible seizures in the country.

The prime minister also said he was “committed” to ensuring that racial and religious tensions do not “get out of hand” in the multi-cultural country.

“Although Islam is the religion of the federation, those of other faiths are at complete liberty and freedom to worship as they please,” Najib said in his welcome address at the Global Transformation Forum here.

“You can see here in Malaysia the true face of Islam, or sometimes I refer to as authentic Islam. It’s a religion of peace, moderation and justice, and of course mutual respect for our fellow men.

“You can see this in the way Malaysians visit each other and share food on a variety of festivals, including Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Chinese New Year, Christmas and Deepavali. This is why there are many places in Malaysia where you can find a church, mosque and temple on the same street,” the prime minister added.

The Court of Appeal upheld in 2013 a government ban on the publication of the Arabic word “Allah” in the Bahasa Malaysia section of the Catholic Church’s weekly paper the Herald, with the country’s apex court refusing to allow the church to appeal the decision.

Islamic laws against proselytisation in peninsular Malaysia render non-Muslim material containing the word “Allah” vulnerable to seizure.

The prime minister’s commitment today at the international forum to controlling racial and religious tensions also comes after his expressed support for the pro-Malay “Red Shirts” rally last September that saw anti-Chinese sentiments.