File photo of a Malaysian policeman

On 2 November 2011, the Royal Malaysia Police declared a ban on an event planned by Seksualiti Merdeka (SM), which aims to celebrate sexual diversity and disseminate information to the public on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) rights through art and public talks.

Further Information

SM is a coalition of human rights defenders working to promote the rights of LGBTI individuals and communities in Malaysia. The yearly event has been held since 2008. Public officials and politicians have made inflammatory statements about SM, and the police have announced that they will detain anyone that participates in any such events on grounds including the disturbance of public order and threats to national security.

On 3 November 2011, Deputy Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Khalid Abu Bakar confirmed that police would take action “under Section 27 A (1) (C) of the Police Act as well as Section 298 A of the Penal Code to prevent any function relating to the programme”. Under Section 27 A of the Police Act, organisers of SM could be fined between 2,000 and 10,000 Ringgit (approximately € 465 to € 2322) and face one year's imprisonment, while Section 298 A states that they could be imprisoned for a term of between two and five years.

According to the Deputy Inspector-General, the police have received a number complaints from both Islamic and non-Islamic NGOs, “who feared that the programme could create disharmony, enmity and disturb public order”. It is reported that organisations that filed complaints include the Allied Coordinating Committee of Islamic NGOs (ACCIN) and the Anti-Liberalism of Religion Body (Badan Anti-Liberalisme Agama). In response, SM organisers have called off all public events, and they have requested to meet the Inspector-General of Police in order to clarify the festival objectives.

On 7 November 2011, several human rights defenders who have been identified as key figures in the organisation of the event were phoned by the police in order to collect statements. These individuals include Mr Pang Khee Teik, key organiser of the event, Ms Maria Chin Abdullah, Executive Director of Empower, Ms Ambiga Sreenevasan, Chairperson of Bersih 2.0, and Ms Irene Fernandez, Executive Director of Tenaganita.

During the past week, SM has been the subject of verbal attack by the authorities. On 4 November 2011, Former PM Mahathir Mohamad is reported to say that “[w]e don't need this sexuality thing. We don't need men marrying men, women marrying women and blatant exhibitionists here” in his speech at the Third World Chinese Economic Forum. Datuk Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin, Minister of Federal Territories, is reported as saying that Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) is monitoring the situation in order to forestall any attempts to revive or promote the “immoral” event.

Meanwhile, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Deputy Prime Minister, allegedly described the festival as “deviationist” and not in keeping with the values, systems, religions and laws in Malaysia. It has also been reported that Datuk Nik Mustapha Nik Hassan, Director General of the Institute of Islamic Understanding (IKIM), stated that SM was uncivilised and degraded human beings as being “worse than animals”.

Front Line believes that the ban of the event held by SM is directly related to the organisation's work in the defence of human rights, particularly its peaceful programme aiming to promote LGBTI rights.