1 week ago
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KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s Religious Affairs Minister has called for a police probe on a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ)-themed event planned for next month, reiterating the government’s stance against efforts to normalise what he called “deviant” lifestyles.
The event, called “Pride Care: Queer Stories and Sexual Health Awareness”, is organised by the youth wing of the Socialist Party of Malaysia – or Parti Sosialis Malaysia – and scheduled to take place in Petaling Jaya on Jun 21.
Minister Mohd Na’im Mokhtar on Wednesday (May 28) urged the authorities, including the Royal Malaysia Police, to investigate and take action should there be any breach of the law, national news agency Bernama reported.
In a statement on Facebook, Na’im called on the organisers to immediately cease all activities that “violate the law and moral values of society”.
“The organisation of such programmes, even if held behind closed doors, clearly challenges societal norms and religious values upheld by the majority of Malaysians,” he said.
Parti Sosialis Malaysia’s youth wing had posted on Monday on social media platform X that it would be hosting its “very first queer-centred event” on Jun 21.
The party was registered in 2008 and member Michael Jeyakumar Devaraj held a parliamentary seat from 2008 to 2018 under the Parti Keadilan Rakyat’s banner. But Parti Sosialis Malaysia suffered defeat in the 2018 general election when it ran under its own banner.
“A ‘by queers, for queers’ initiative that shines a spotlight on the shared reality of living as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community in this country,” the youth wing wrote.
It said the event would feature a forum and a presentation on sexual health awareness, and the venue would be disclosed five days in advance.
In the wake of the post, some netizens urged the authorities to take action.
Minister Na’im said Malaysia’s Islamic development department (JAKIM) and state religious departments are ready to enforce regulations, especially if the event involves Muslim participants.
“At the same time, I call on all parties to help defend our society’s social and moral structure from any elements that could undermine our faith, ethics and national harmony,” he said in his statement.
MALAYSIA’S CLAMPDOWN ON PRIDE CULTURE
This is not the first time controversy has erupted over LGBTQ-related matters in the country.
In May 2023, the Home Affairs Ministry seized 172 Swatch rainbow watches from 11 shopping malls across the country for allegedly promoting LGBTQ values.
The Swiss watchmaker filed, and won, a lawsuit against the government.
Last November, Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Amarjeet Singh Serjit Singh said the Home Ministry’s raid of Swatch stores and seizure of its watches were illegal as they were made without a warrant. He ordered that the seized watches be returned.
In 2023, Malaysia also halted a music festival in Kuala Lumpur after the frontman of British pop rock band The 1975 kissed a male bandmate onstage and criticised the country’s anti-LGBTQ laws.
On Wednesday, Na’im said the government remains committed to upholding the Islamic principles in national governance to protect religion, morality and human dignity.
“Deviant cultures will never be accepted as the norm in Malaysia,” he said.
