Malaysia cannot accept same-sex marriage, says Mahathir
Prime minister rules out recognition of gay unions in Muslim-majority country
Malaysia cannot accept same-sex marriage or lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said on Friday, amid growing instances of persecution of the LGBT community in the Muslim-majority country.
“In Malaysia there are some things we cannot accept, even though it is seen as human rights in Western countries,” Mahathir, 93, told reporters. “We cannot accept LGBT marriage between men and men, women and women.”
His comments are likely to spark further debate in the country where activists have voiced concern over the hostility towards LGBT groups both from within society and from the administration.
Two women were caned this month for “attempting lesbian sex” in Terengganu, a conservative state in the east.
Mahathir denounced the punishment, saying it “did not reflect the justice or compassion of Islam”. Last month, a gay bar in Kuala Lumpur was raided by police and religious enforcement officials, while a transgender woman was beaten up by a group of assailants in Seremban, near the capital.