Tag: gay malaysia

Malaysia bans leading human rights coalition for ”promoting gay rights”

Malaysia’s Home Ministry has banned and accused the country’s leading human rights coalition of pursuing gay, lesbian and transgender rights which “run contrary to Islam” In a move that has been denounced by human rights groups including Amnesty International, Malaysia’s Home Ministry on Wednesday issued a statement declaring the Coalition of Malaysian NGOs (Comango) illegal… Read more »

The life of gay people in Muslim Malaysia

While life as a gay young person growing up during the 1980s certainly was rough, I know that many people had it much worse. And many still do. As I contemplated living in Malaysia, I had to ask the question What would life be like for me as a gay man in Malaysia? While the… Read more »

Human Rights Watch calls for end to Malaysia’s sodomy law

Global human rights group Human Rights Watch have called on Malaysia to repeal its colonial era law banning gay sex as the government continues to use it to harass Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim Global human rights group Human Rights Watch have called on the Malaysian Government to cease its legal harassment of Opposition leader Anwar… Read more »

Same-sex marriage: The final destination?

At last count, 14 countries have legalised same-sex marriage. In Asia, the issue is gaining steam in Vietnam and Thailand as its governments are considering legalising same-sex marriage and civil unions respectively. Is this a cause all gay people should get behind? Malaysian gay activist and co-founder of Seksualiti Merdeka Pang Khee Teik writes that… Read more »

Homophobia & Transphobia: The Story in Malaysia

Despite Malaysia being a multi-ethnic, multi-religious society, discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons has reached “new levels of intensity” according to Human Rights Watch’s latest report on Malaysia. For this year’s International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia, IREX spoke about the state of LGBT rights in Malaysia with Julian Sanjivan, a Community… Read more »

Malaysia still curtailing LGBT people’s rights, says Human Rights Watch

Malaysia’s human rights record criticized again in report to the UN Human Rights Watch (HRW) has accused Malaysia of violating international standards against discrimination with their words and actions against LGBT people. HRW submitted a wide-ranging report to the UN on Malaysia’s human rights failures, which included curtailing freedom of peaceful assembly, association and expression… Read more »

Malaysia: the reality behind the headlines

After a year of headlines about shockingly homophobic statements from the government, Gay Star News visits Malaysia to find out what life is really like for LGBT rights activists there Out of all Asian nations, Malaysia has the dubious honor of collecting the most negative headlines on Gay Star News in the last 12 months.… Read more »

Malaysia hears Christmas call for tolerance for LGBTs

Malaysia’s most read online newspaper has published a Christmas call for tolerance towards LGBTs just days after a prominent lawmaker warned Malays about adopting foreign views on homosexuality Malaysia’s most read news website has published a Christmas call for tolerance for LGBTs from a reader. The Malaysia Kini website published the article ‘Bethlehem revisited –… Read more »

Human Rights Watch tells Malaysia to stop vilifying LGBT people

Leading human rights organization sends letter to Malaysian PM saying his discriminatory policies are against the principles of UN member states Leading global human rights defender Human Rights Watch has sent a letter to the Malaysian prime minister asking him to stop discriminating against LGBT citizens. In the open letter to Prime Minister Najib Abdul… Read more »

Malaysian transgender women lose legal challenge to dress as… women

A Malaysian High Court has dismissed an application by four transgender women who had sought to have an Islamic law that bars Muslim men from wearing women’s clothes reviewed. The secular High Court in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan state, on Thursday rejected a bid by four Muslim male-to-female transgender persons who sought to have the court… Read more »

Malaysian Court Rejects Challenge to Cross-Dressing Ban

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia — A challenge to a law barring Muslim men from dressing or posing as women was dismissed on Thursday by a Malaysian court, prompting concern that more transgender people in the Muslim-majority country may be prosecuted. In Malaysia, Muslim men can be fined and jailed for transvestism under the country’s dual legal… Read more »

The ASEAN declaration – Good news or bad news?

We now know what the draft ASEAN Human Rights Declaration will say. Is it good news or bad news for LGBTI? Douglas Sanders looks at the issues. First the bad news. We are not named. In the anti-discrimination provisions there is no reference to “sexual orientation” or “gender identity” or “gender expression.” Perhaps we don’t… Read more »

Govt-endorsed parental guide to “identify” gay and lesbian children slammed

The guide to “help” parents identify gay and lesbian “symptoms” in their children says one indication is that gay men have muscular bodies and like to show their body by wearing V-neck and sleeveless clothes… The Education Ministry-endorsed “guidelines” to “help” parents identify gay and lesbian “symptoms” in their children so they can take early… Read more »

Gay Couple Married in US Feted at Malaysia Banquet

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (AP) – A gay pastor who married his musical producer boyfriend in New York last year has fulfilled a vow to hold a wedding banquet in his native Malaysia in what they believe is the first such event in the Muslim-majority country. Malaysian-born Ngeo Boon Lin and African-American husband Phineas Newborn III,… Read more »

Malaysian Opposition leader says gays should be discriminated against

Malaysian Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has told the Malay High Court that homosexuals should be prosecuted despite having twice defended sodomy charges against himself Malaysian Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has told a Malay court that homosexuals should be discriminated against, despite past comments to the BBC in which he called the country’s sodomy laws archaic… Read more »

Malaysia: Muslim lesbian activist launches controversial book

A Canadian Muslim has launched a controversial new book on liberal Islam in Malaysia, where the majority of citizens are Muslim, despite attempts by a government minister to ban the event. The book, titled ‘Allah, Liberty and Love,’ was launched by its author, Irshad Maji, in the capital Kuala Lampur earlier today, after two other… Read more »

Malaysia Says No To Gay Characters On TV, Radio

The government of Malaysia has banned television and radio shows which feature gay characters. The ban, effective immediately, was reported by The Star. Deputy Information, Communications and Culture Minister Datuk Maglin Dennis D’Cruz told The Star that the ban was meant to curb the “influence” of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community. State-owned… Read more »

Malaysian activist responds to MP’s call for ban on LGBT politicians

Pang Khee Teik says ‘only the morally bankrupt… are threatened by the honesty and transparency of the openly LGBT’ Malaysian sexualities rights activist Pang Khee Teik has responded to MP Zahrain Mohamed Hashim’s attempt to table an emergency motion in parliament last week to bar LGBT people from becoming MPs and senators. Pang said: ‘They… Read more »

State-run TV in Malaysia to ‘ban’ programmes featuring gay characters

The Malaysian Information Department has banned television shows which feature gay characters, starting with state-run channels. The country’s Deputy Information, Communications and Culture Minister Datuk Maglin Dennis D’Cruz said the ban would be effective immediately beginning with state-owned TV and radio stations Mr D’Cruz said: “If it means cancelling some of the shows, so be… Read more »

Malaysia announces funding for counsellors to tackle gay ‘phenomenon’

Malaysia’s Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced funding yesterday to enable counsellors to tackle “sexual orientation disorders like LGBT”. The politician was speaking at the launch of National Counselling, Education and Career Carnival and Improving Professional Counselling seminar at Universiti Putra Malaysia, The Malaysian Sun Daily records. Muhyiddin said the funding “includes counselling… Read more »

Malaysia: Court rejects Seksualiti Merdeka’s application to pursue a judicial review against a police ban

Seksualiti Merdeka’s leave of application to pursue a judicial review against a police ban of its programme in 2011 has been rejected by the Kuala Lumpur High Court today. In January, Fridae reported that five applicants – festival co-founder Pang Khee Teik, Angela Marianne Kuga Thas, S Thilaga Socky Pillai, Siti Zabedah Kasim and Michelle… Read more »

Seksualiti Merdeka challenges ban in Kuala Lumpur High Court

The Kuala Lumpur High Court will hear the judicial review application filed by committee members of Malaysia’s only sexuality rights festival, which was forcibly cancelled by the police last November, on Feb 21. Committee members of Malaysia’s only sexuality rights festival Seksualiti Merdeka, which was forcibly cancelled by the police last November, have filed a… Read more »

Malaysian opposition leader speaks of “archaic” sodomy laws during trial

The former Deputy Prime Minister and current Leader of the Opposition in Malaysia has spoken of the “archaic” and “unjust” sodomy laws under which he is standing trial. Anwar Ibrahim, who is married with six children, is accused of engaging in sodomy with an aide in 2008. As a verdict nears, he insists the act… Read more »

Malaysia: Revoke Law Banning Same-Sex Sexual Relations

Drop Case against Ex-Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim (New York) – The Malaysian government should revoke its colonial-era law criminalizing consensual sexual acts between people of the same sex, Human Rights Watch said today. The authorities should drop their criminal case alleging consensual “sodomy” against opposition leader and former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim, who… Read more »