KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community has been under attack in recent weeks by government and religious figures who have continued to push for their rights to remain outside Malaysian law. Until Wednesday, no human rights group in the country had spoken out on the embattled community's behalf. That changed when Suara Rakyat Malaysia, or Suaram, called on the country's politicians to stand up for the human rights of the LGBT community. The rights group's Director Nalini Elumalai said in a statement released on Wednesday that it was distasteful that Prime Minister Najib Razak referred to the LGBT community as “enemies of Islam,” but also condemned opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim for saying in an interview that homosexuals should not be given full rights in the country. “We view these statements as direct attacks, as it proclaims the existence of discrimination against the LGBT community,” Elumalai said. “The statements have certainly sent out a clear message that approves and justifies homophobic and transphobic violence, abuse and harassment by the society,” she added. She argued that political leaders in the country had far too long found ways of insulting the gay community in Malaysia, and it was time to end the homophobia in the country. “Suaram believes that the root cause of homophobia is fear, and the culture of homophobic intolerance driven by fear has no place in modern Malaysia. We should not allow fear to manifest itself into discrimination or in the dehumanization of any human beings. Our progress towards building a more tolerant society should not be allowed to go into reverse gear,” she added. “I think not as many people really give us a hard time when we are out together and showing affection," began Rina, a 23-year-old recent university graduate and lesbian. She spoke of her relationship with Youssra, a 22-year-old student who told Bikyamasr.com that her family is not pleased by her coming out. “I told them recently about Rina and they were shocked. I thought my father was going to kill me, but even though they are not happy, I think they have accepted who I am," she argued. For the country's lesbian and gay population, the struggle for rights is an uphill battle. With the country's legal code based largely on the British system that was implemented last century during its occupation of Malaysia, and coupled with the growing power of Islamic clerics, creating openness and dialogue is often difficult. But couples like Rina and Youssra are beginning to see changes in everyday perception towards their relationship. “First it was our friends who were a little taken aback by our getting together, but they came around," continued Rina. “Now we can go to a number of clubs in KL and elsewhere, spend time on the beach and not be bothered, because we see that once people learn about us and see us, it is different." Much to the continued frustration of the community, the government is continuing its anti-gay strategy, with Prime Minister Najib Razak arguing that LGBT and liberalism are against Islam and will be “fought." Razak, speaking in front of a crowd of over 11,000 imams and mosque committee members from across the nation on Saturday, argued that the gay community was a threat to the stability of Malaysia. “LGBTs, pluralism, liberalism ― all these ‘isms' are against Islam and it is compulsory for us to fight these," he said. Razak also said the government supports human rights, but within the boundaries of Islam. “We do support human rights, but we must do so within the boundaries set by Islam," he said. The prime minister also told Muslims to avoid discord which could threaten those who safeguard Islamic principles. “If the nation falls into a state of chaos, who will safeguard these people?" he asked. The event, organized by the Prime Minister's Office, started off with the Minister in Prime Minister's Office Maj-Gen (R) Jamil Khir Baharom saying that imams must defend the government against these threats. “There are so many attacks on our religion. LGBTs, pluralism, liberalism, Seksualiti Merdeka. We must stand strong and defend the government," he said. Attendees were also given a book which was written by the PM himself, entitled “Agenda Islam Dalam Transformasi Negara." The LGBT community in Malaysia has repeatedly told Bikyamasr.com that they fear for their safety often after repeated government attempts to curtail their basic rights. One activist and lesbian told Bikyamasr.com recently that “while society is becoming more tolerant to gay people, the government is doing the opposite."
