KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia is to launch a free-to-air Islamic television channel aimed at family education based on the religion's teachings, according to the Islamic affairs minister.

Jamil Khir Baharom told state media late Thursday plans for the channel were at the technical stage with ongoing discussions on the programming but declined to give a launch date.

"The Islamic TV channel will give the people an alternative," he told Bernama.

"Local TV stations do carry Islamic programmes but they only (make) up 10 to 18 percent of the overall content. The Islamic TV channel will appeal to Muslims and also non-Muslims," he added.

Jamil said the channel would be fully owned by the government and operated by the Malaysian Islamic Development Department or JAKIM, which has just launched an Islamic radio station.

About 60 percent of Malaysia's 27 million people are ethnic Malay Muslims while the country's minority Chinese and Indians are mostly Buddhists, Hindus or Christians.