If you look or sound like a gay, transsexual or effeminate, you will not be allowed to go on the air in Malaysia.
UPDATED
PETALING JAYA: Male characters who appear gay, transsexual or effeminate will not be allowed to be heard or seen over Malaysia’s airwaves.
In a Facebook message, the Department of Information (which comes under the Ministry of Information, Communications and Culture) said such “characters” went against social and religious norms.
These characters, the message added, contributed to a rising support for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) movement.
“Effective immediately, radio and television stations have been asked to stop programmes that broadcast characters (depicting) ‘pondans’ (transsexuals), effeminate men as well as characters that are in conflict with social and religious norms because they can be said to be in support of (and contributing to the increase of the LGBT social problem,” the message read.
The message, which appeared on the department’s Facebook page at approximately 6pm yesterday, also gained a fair amount of support.
Hamli Sanai Razali said: “Good, we’ve been waiting for this for a long time. The most can be found in (the comedy show) Raja Lawak.”
Afzal Mohamad said: “(The government) should have banned programmes like this from before. They don’t bring any benefit at all. They’re shameful and enliven these groups.”
One Facebook user known only as ‘En A No’ said: “I support [this]! This decision was the right thing to do because it will preserve Malaysia’s culture as well as maintain the country’s status as a modern Islamic country.”
Another Facebook user, Julie Ismail, suggested foreign shows such as the American musical drama “Glee” be taken off the air. “If so, then please stop the ‘Glee’ programme, which clearly supports these kinds of groups. So geli (creepy)!” she said.
It is not clear if this statement was commissioned by a department official or from Minister Rais Yatim himself.
However, the government appears to be stepping up its efforts in curbing the “spread” of homosexuality in the country.
On March 22, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Mashitah Ibrahim told the Dewan Rakyat that the government was working with several NGOs to prevent the LGBT movement from taking root, especially amongst Muslims here.
She said that several measures, included the training of volunteers to “approach” the LGBT community as well as instructing groups to carry out anti-homosexual campaigns.
This followed a claim by Sekijang MP (Umno) Baharum Mohamad, who said that three out of every 10 men in Malaysia were gay, suggesting that the government set up a homosexual rehabilitation centre, to stop same-sex relationships from spreading in the country.
In a related development, the Information Department said in a Facebook message clarified that the ‘directive’ actually a re-posting of a Bernama Radio24 Facebook discussion topic.
The department however did not say why it chose to re-post the message instead of rewording it to make it seem as though it was indeed a discussion.
UPDATED
PETALING JAYA: Male characters who appear gay, transsexual or effeminate will not be allowed to be heard or seen over Malaysia’s airwaves.In a Facebook message, the Department of Information (which comes under the Ministry of Information, Communications and Culture) said such “characters” went against social and religious norms.
These characters, the message added, contributed to a rising support for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) movement.
“Effective immediately, radio and television stations have been asked to stop programmes that broadcast characters (depicting) ‘pondans’ (transsexuals), effeminate men as well as characters that are in conflict with social and religious norms because they can be said to be in support of (and contributing to the increase of the LGBT social problem,” the message read.
The message, which appeared on the department’s Facebook page at approximately 6pm yesterday, also gained a fair amount of support.
Hamli Sanai Razali said: “Good, we’ve been waiting for this for a long time. The most can be found in (the comedy show) Raja Lawak.”
Afzal Mohamad said: “(The government) should have banned programmes like this from before. They don’t bring any benefit at all. They’re shameful and enliven these groups.”
One Facebook user known only as ‘En A No’ said: “I support [this]! This decision was the right thing to do because it will preserve Malaysia’s culture as well as maintain the country’s status as a modern Islamic country.”
Another Facebook user, Julie Ismail, suggested foreign shows such as the American musical drama “Glee” be taken off the air. “If so, then please stop the ‘Glee’ programme, which clearly supports these kinds of groups. So geli (creepy)!” she said.It is not clear if this statement was commissioned by a department official or from Minister Rais Yatim himself.
However, the government appears to be stepping up its efforts in curbing the “spread” of homosexuality in the country.
On March 22, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Mashitah Ibrahim told the Dewan Rakyat that the government was working with several NGOs to prevent the LGBT movement from taking root, especially amongst Muslims here.
She said that several measures, included the training of volunteers to “approach” the LGBT community as well as instructing groups to carry out anti-homosexual campaigns.
This followed a claim by Sekijang MP (Umno) Baharum Mohamad, who said that three out of every 10 men in Malaysia were gay, suggesting that the government set up a homosexual rehabilitation centre, to stop same-sex relationships from spreading in the country.
In a related development, the Information Department said in a Facebook message clarified that the ‘directive’ actually a re-posting of a Bernama Radio24 Facebook discussion topic.
The department however did not say why it chose to re-post the message instead of rewording it to make it seem as though it was indeed a discussion.
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