KUALA LUMPUR: Suzie* is a lesbian. A Malaysian lesbian. Yet she struggles with her daily life. When she speaks openly about her life, many accuse her of trying to “convert” other girls to being gay. “It's daily, people will ask me what it is like to be a lesbian in Malaysia and I tell them,” she began, sitting in her recently pressed business attire ready for work. “But then they accuse me of trying to convert other girls, just so I can sleep with them. It is ridiculous,” she told Bikyamasr.com. But the Malaysian government agrees with the naysayers and for the 27-year-old manager at a local advertising company, it is making life difficult. “It is hard to be open when all eyes are on us all the time,” she added. Making matters harder for the LGBT community and the likes of Suzie is The Malaysian Islamic Development Department (JAKIM), which has announced it is monitoring organisations that are trying to influence teenagers towards free sex and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transexual (LGBT) activities. It said that it would ensure that “appropriate actions can be taken” against the community. “It's a bunch of hate and lies. We are regular Malaysians and it is time for people to understand this. We aren't out to sleep with your girlfriends, or your daughters. Come on, this is crazy,” added Suzie. JAKIM director-general Datuk Othman Mustapha, disagreed, saying the organisations were using social media including blogs to “influence teenagers to support the LGBT movement in the country. “Based on our initial investigation, there are blogs that are trying to influence youngsters to get involved in LGBT activities. About 3,000 fans are surfing such blogs,” he told reporters at the “Ramah Mesra” program with the Orang Asli community in Sungai Rual, and was launched by International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed. He added that JAKIM would be collaborating with other relevant authorities including the police, State Islamic Religious Departments and Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) on the matter. Othman also advised teenagers to stay away from LGBT activities and urged parents to monitor their children's movements to ensure that they would not be trapped in the negative culture. For Suzie and her friends, the moves are yet another in a long line of prejudice toward the LGBT community, and based on misunderstandings. “The people that make these statements and threats probably never ever met a lesbian or a gay person, or worse, they are scared that their sons or daughters might be gay. Oh no!” she added sarcastically. * Not her real name
