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Did you know
that 7 out of 11 countries in Southeast Asia have legalized *** activities
between partners in the same sex?
Malaysia is not one of them.
Malaysia, along with Brunei, Myanmar, and Singapore, are the only countries in Southeast Asia
that still criminalize *** acts between partners of the same sex.
In 1998, a law was passed in Malaysia to impose punishment upon people who
voluntarily perform *** acts against the order of nature.
Including sodomy.
If charged, an individual will face punishments of imprisonment up to
20 years and subject to lashes of the whip.
Every year, 100 to 200 people in Malaysia are arrested and charged with performing
homosexual activities.
A recent Malaysian university survey claims that 76 percent of them
personally know someone in Malaysia
who identifies themselves as a part of the LGBT community.
For the country's LGBT population the struggle for rights is an uphill battle.
With the country's legal code coupled with the growing power of
Islamic clerics, creating openness and freedom of expression
is often difficult.
In 1998 the People's Anti-Homosexual Voluntary Movement
or PASRAH was created to lobby for stricter criminal laws against homosexuality
and promotes discrimination against the LGBT community.
However, the recent University survey claims that a 82 percent of them have never deliberately bullied
or harassed members of the LGBT community. The survey also concluded that
46 percent agree that everyone is entitled to freedom to love
regardless of their *** orientation.
Whereas 50 percent believe that they have no right
to judge or interfere in other people's lives.
And only 4 percent believe that homosexuality is immoral
and that the offender should be punished harshly.
Some individuals have been
brave enough to stand up for their right to love freely.
Such as art consultant, Pang Khee Teik
and singer-songwriter, Jerome Kugan.
In 2008, the two founded an annual sexuality rights festival held in Kuala Lumpur
Appropriately named Sexuality Merdeka which loosely translates
as sexuality independence or freedom. According to the University survey,
82 percent of the people taking the survey agreed that Lesbians, Gays,
Bisexuals, Transgenders,
Intersexes, and Questioning people in Malaysia deserve the right
to be free from discrimination. And although many people living in Malaysia
are starting to accept the LGBT community.
We are still a long way from the equality of rights
for everyone, regardless of their *** orientation and gender identity.