- LGBT rights in Malaysia
LGBT rights are absent inMalaysia . Malaysia stands under heavy influence ofIslam andhomosexuality is technically illegal.LGBT Malaysians are often seen as immoral and treated as deviants and criminals. There is a national gay organization in this country, which receives little support.Criminal Code
Section 377 of the penal code prohibits heterosexual and homosexual
sodomy with punishments including up to twenty years in prison and or fines and whippings. Section 337a more narrowly prohibits acts of "gross indecency with another male person" with punishment including up to two years in prison [ [http://www.sodomylaws.org/world/malaysia/malaysia.htm Sodomylaws.Org ] ] . Cross-dressing in public is also a crime under vague laws against public immorality.For example, in 1998, Forty-five Muslim
transvestite s were charged and convicted in court for dressing as women, and twenty-three more transgender persons faced similar fines and imprisonment in 1999http://www.ilga.info/Information/Legal_survey/Asia_Pacific/malaysia.htm] .State legislators are permitted to enact state laws. In 1993, the Malaysian state of
Kelantan adoptedIslamic law and thus the punishment forsodomy in that state is death. In 2002, the state ofTerengganu adopted a similar legal system [ [http://www.sodomylaws.org/world/malaysia/mynews033.htm Sodomylaws.Org ] ] .Vigilante Groups
In 1995, the state of
Selangor Religious Affairs Minister praised the Islamic Badar vigilante groups who had organized in 1994 to assist in the arrest of 7,000 for engaging in "unIslamic" activities such as homosexuality.Civil Rights
No laws exist to prohibit discrimination on the basis of
sexual orientation orgender identity . It has been estimated that a large number of transgender persons are forced to work on the streets as commercial sex workers to earn a living.In the early 1990s, a group called the Pink Triangle Malaysia was organized to "providing HIV/AIDS education, prevention, care and support programmes, sexuality awareness and empowerment programmes for vulnerable communities in Malaysia". "PT Malaysia", is one of several organizations in the nation that do not lobby for
LGBT rights, but instead focus on social networks and HIV/AIDS education; i.e. the "LPG" (founded in 1998), and the "Pelangi Community Foundation".In 1994, the government banned anyone who is gay, lesbian, bisexual or transsexual from appearing on the state controlled media.
The "People's Anti-Homosexual Voluntary Movement", was created in 1998 to lobby for stricter criminal laws against homosexuality, and is a member of the ruling
United Malays National Organization (UMNO) [ [http://www.sodomylaws.org/world/malaysia/mynews001.htm Sodomylaws.Org ] ] .In 2001 the former Prime Minister
Mahathir Mohamad stated that the country will deport any visiting foreign cabinet ministers, or diplomat who is gay [ [http://www.sodomylaws.org/world/malaysia/mynews054.htm Sodomylaws.Org ] ] .In 2005 the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) chief Mohd Anwar Mohd Nor stated that the Navy would never accept homosexuals [ [http://www.sodomylaws.org/world/malaysia/mynews072.htm Sodomylaws.Org ] ] .
Political Party Views
As of 2007, none of the major or minor political parties have endorsed or spoken against
gay rights in their party's manifesto or platform.Anwar Ibrahim
In 1998 the reformer named
Anwar Ibrahim was charged with, among other political crimes, homosexual sodomy. In 2000, he was sentenced to nine years for engaging insodomy with his 19-year-old malechauffeur and his former male speech writer. Despite national and international protests, he was not released until he had served out four years of his sentence, in 2004, when theFederal Court of Malaysia acquitted him of all charges. [ [http://www.sodomylaws.org/world/malaysia/mynews063.htm Sodomylaws.Org ] ] .After his release, Anwar stated that he felt that the national criminal laws against homosexuality ought to be reformed to protect consenting adult's right to have a private life, although he also stated that
gay marriage , "is going a bit too far" [ [http://www.sodomylaws.org/world/malaysia/mynews068.htm Sodomylaws.Org ] ] .In 2007, former Prime Minister
Mahathir Mohamad responded to a civil lawsuit filed by Anwar by stating that a homosexual should not hold public office in Malaysia and that he knew Anwar was a homosexual because Anwar's male chauffeur and a male speech writer both stated in court that they had had sexual relations with Anwar [ [http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid40937.asp Former PM says gays should not rule mostly Muslim Malaysia | News | Advocate.com ] ] .In July 2008, Anwar was arrested again, accused of sodomy with a former male aid. The arrest came shortly after Anwar claimed to be in a position to challenge the governing coalition after the opposition's successes in the march elections. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7508805.stm BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | Malaysia's Anwar Ibrahim arrested ] ] However, he was released on bail and won the campaign for his former seat in Parliament, and currently leads the opposition in Parliament.
Marriage & Family
As homosexuality is a crime, Malaysia does not recognize
gay marriage ,civil unions ordomestic partnership benifits .AIDS/HIV
Since the first official case of
AIDS appeared in the nation, 1985, the government has been under more pressure to promote education and prevention campaigns as some experts have suggested that the number of Malaysians infected with HIV could go as high as 300,000 by the year 2015 [http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/02/11/asia/AS-MED-Malaysia-HIV.php HIV infections in Malaysia could surge to 300,000 by 2015, official warns - International Herald Tribune ] ] .In 2006, the government launched a new comprehensive public campaign that includes therapy and needle exchange programs for drug addicts, and free medications provided at government clinics. However, the public discussion of sexuality remains a taboo topic. In 2007, the Malaysia's Ministry of Health was banned from supporting the usage of
condoms to prevent the spread of the disease out of a concern that such a campaign would be equated with a government endorsement of sexual conduct outside of a legal marriage [ [http://www.globalhealthreporting.org/article.asp?DR_ID=45068 HIV/AIDS | Malaysia Health Ministry Cannot Promote Condom Use To Prevent Spread of HIV, Official Says - GlobalHealthReporting.org ] ] .References
External links
* [http://www.ptfmalaysia.org Pink Triangle Foundation us]
* [http://www.mylpg.net/index.html LPG Malaysia]
* [http://www.mygoodasyou.com Good As You Malaysia]
* [http://www.menafterwork.com Men After Work]
* [http://www.malaysiacollege.com/advice/campustopics/gay.html Being Gay in Malaysia]
* [http://www.sodomylaws.org/malaysia Sodomy Laws - Malaysia]
* [http://www.malaysiakini.com/rentakini/58783 Malaysiakini article]
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