‘Do you know LGBTs are promoting their lifestyle online?’

REPORTS by MARTIN CARVALHO, HEMANANTHANI SIVANANDAM, RAHIMY RAHIM and LOSHANA K SHAGAR 

Some 620,000 LGBTs (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) are turning to social media to promote their “services” and lifestyle, claims Datuk Ahmad Nazlan Idris (pic) (BN-Jerantut).

Ahmad Nazlan also asked if the Government was aware of this.

“This includes promoting their gay, extravagant and glamorous lifestyle, mainly among the young who may be influenced,” he said during Question and Answer Time in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.

He said the issues surrounding LGBTs were not confined only to Muslims but other religions too.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa said the nation’s LGBT community were allowed to practise their lifestyle, but subjected to existing laws.

He cited Section 377A of the Penal Code, where anal and oral sex – a crime under federal law – were punishable by a jail term of up to 20 years and whipping.

He also noted that LGBTs were also bound by the respective state Islamic syariah laws against cross-dressing, homosexuality and lesbianism.

However, Dr Mujahid, who is in charge of religious affairs, stressed that LGBTs enjoyed rights under the Federal Constitution against discrimination.

“The group cannot be oppressed at their workplace or be victimised and treated cruelly,” he added.

Dr Mujahid also said that sex education should not be viewed as “taboo” if the nation wanted to deal with LGBTs and other sexual issues, such as rape and incest.

“We cannot consider sex education as something taboo any longer but as a means to educate,” he added.

He said the Government was continuously engaging LGBTs at the community level through various programmes and seminars, in the hope of helping them turn a new leaf.

He invited Ahmad Nazlan to attend an upcoming seminar in Terengganu involving some 200 LGBTs.

Earlier, Dr Mujahid noted that LGBT was now known as LGBTIQ, the addition being those deemed as “queer”.