In Malaysia, LGBTQ sexual health workshop probe sparks free speech row

Activists called the Selangor police’s investigation into the closed-door workshop a ‘witch hunt’

Civil society groups are challenging a police investigation into an LGBTQ sexual health workshop in Malaysia, rejecting claims that it could offend Islam or threaten public order.

While Malaysia is secular and multicultural, Islam is the state religion, with Islamic authorities empowered to regulate Muslim affairs and enforce religious mores through the sharia court system.

Selangor police chief Hussein Omar Khan on Saturday said the closed-door workshop, which was slated for mid-June but has since been indefinitely postponed, was being investigated under the Penal Code for causing “disharmony or ill will” on religious grounds – as well as under the Communications and Multimedia Act, a law often used to restrict online expression.

Critics called the police action another example of overreach by authorities and warned against the criminalisation of public health efforts for a marginalised community.

“The fact that Islam is the official religion does not authorise the government to go on a witch hunt against events which allegedly infringe the tenets of Islam,” Zaid Malek, director of Lawyers for Liberty, a human rights advocacy group, said on Sunday.

“In any event, in no way does this public health event for a minority group offend against Islam. Islam encourages compassion and aid to those who require it.”

The workshop – organised by the youth wing of the Malaysian Socialist Party (PSM) – is the latest casualty of an intensifying crackdown on LGBTQ expression under Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

His government has imposed bans on books deemed to promote homosexuality and even seized watches featuring rainbow-coloured straps intended for Pride celebrations – actions aimed at strengthening his appeal among an increasingly influential conservative voting bloc.

As a result, LGBTQ events have become easy targets for Malaysia’s hardline politicians.

Minister wades in

Last Wednesday, Religious Affairs Minister Na’im Mokhtar said that he wanted the workshop cancelled.

“The organisation of such a programme, even if held behind closed doors, clearly challenges societal norms and the religious values upheld by the majority,” Na’im said.

But Zaid questioned allegations that the event would violate the constitution or existing laws, pointing out that Malaysia’s Federal Court had ruled that the constitutional status of Islam did not permit the indiscriminate application of Islamic principles.

“That therefore cannot be a ground to say that the event is unlawful or unconstitutional, and it is highly irresponsible for a sitting minister to make such a reckless statement.”

Amanda Shweeta Louis, chair of PSM’s Socialist Youth that organised the “Pridecare: Queer Stories and Sexual Health Awareness” event, said the workshop complied with existing laws and was focused on delivering accurate, stigma-free sexual health information in line with the government’s own strategy to eradicate Aids.

Recent data from the Health Ministry shows men are disproportionately affected by HIV in Malaysia, accounting for 90 per cent of cases last year. Most new infections occurred among individuals aged 20 to 39.

On Saturday, the organiser issued a statement saying that the workshop had been postponed indefinitely “to maintain the safety and well-being of participants”.

“Since the minister’s statement, the number of hateful comments and death threats on our social media handles has increased exponentially. Is violence and hatred the culture we want to ‘normalise’ in Malaysia?” it said in a social media post.

“[Socialist Youth] stands firmly against this wave of hatred and repression. We will not stay silent while vulnerable groups are threatened with violence and denied their dignity, whether by the state or by the public.”

Malaysian states have intensified their actions against the LGBTQ community in recent months, with the Terengganu government openly declaring its intent to promote hatred of homosexuality by erecting homophobic signs throughout the state.

“We really want the people to hate homosexual acts. We want them to consider it dirty, wrong and to be avoided,” state executive councillor Wan Sukairi Wan Abdullah said last month.