KUALA LUMPUR: The rights of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transsexual (LGBT) community must still abide by related existing laws in Malaysia.
However, the minority community’s fundamental human rights will still be protected in line with the Federal Constitution as well as local culture and Islam as the official religion.
In giving this assurance, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa told the Dewan Rakyat today that the government took into account the public's concerns over the spread of the LGBT culture.
Mujahid, who is the minister in charge of Islamic affairs, said that regardless of how one feels about the LGBT lifestyle, the community must not be discriminated against, such as in the workplace.
“Any discrimination (against the LGBT community) at the workplace will only push them into the sex industry,” he said, adding that the government is committed to helping them escape the illicit trade.
He was responding to a question from Datuk Ahmad Nazlan Idris (BN-Jerantut) over steps the government would take to tackle spread of LGBT culture which purportedly goes against the Federal Constitution which places Islam as Malaysia’s official religion.
In response to additional question from Ahmad Nazlan over allegations that there are some among the LGBT community using social media to propagate the lifestyle to Malaysians, Mujahid said that there already existing laws to tackle this matter if it is used for immoral purposes.
He said these include state enactments on forbidding Muslim men from dressing up as women, among others.
“The LGBT issue is not one that only affects Muslims as we must also look at how it affects non-Muslims.
“We need to do this in order to prevent us from being caught up in a culture from abroad,” he said.
He said that the government is also in constant engagement with other stakeholders via seminars, among others, to help tackle the issue.
In response to an additional question from Hasanuddin Mohd Yunus (PH-Hulu Langat) over steps taken by the government to help members of the public from from getting involved in the LGBT lifestyle, Mujahid said that the steps are not just to tackle LGBT issues but also to help tackle other sexual issues within society.
“Sex education should not be seen as taboo as it is needed to help curb (various sexual problems in society) in line with Islam and other religions,” he said.
The subject has been a hot issue ever since prominent LGBT activist Numan Afifi was pressured to step down as Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman’s interim press officer after online criticism.
While Numan had gone on the record to state that he was never officially appointed, his name had been had reportedly listed on the ministry’s website as “special officer“, but was subsequently removed.
Previously, Mujahid had said that as a Malaysian citizen, Numan cannot be discriminated against by virtue of his sexual orientation.
The minister however, made it clear that he and the government are consistent in their stance against the propagation of LGBT culture.
Syed Saddiq however was widely panned on social media for supposedly not standing up for Numan.
The politician who has adopted “bro” as his main reference been repeatedly evasive of his stance on the community and maintained that the appointment was a misunderstanding and had asked the press to get more details from Numan himself.
LGBT activists who voted for Pakatan Harapan in hopes of a more tolerant and inclusive society said Syed Saddiq's silence over the cyberbullying and the discrimination faced by Numan faced was disappointing.