KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysia education ministry is looking to increase “moral education” for all students in the country. At present, the curriculum is only being taught for non-Muslims in the country. MARA Chairman Idris Jusoh said on Monday that in order to “strengthen moral values among youths in the country” he hoped to introduce the new teaching to all students. He argued that “moral education” could help mould students' behaviour and attitude, hence making them into better beings. Citing Turkey, he said, although a Muslim country, Islamic education was not a subject in school, but students were taught moral education towards building a race with high moral values. “We can expand moral education to all students by making some changes in the contents,” he said at the Besut District Education Office on Monday. But the idea has struck a nerve among the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community in the country, who told Bikyamasr.com that such a move was aimed at continuing the government's anti-gay movement in recent months. Earlier this month, the education ministry launched a new “sexual education” program that aimed to combat LGBT in the country, which left many activists angered at the increasing animosity from the government. The aim, the ministry argued, is to combat the “dangers and threats" of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) population, the deputy minister Puad Zarkashi said in comments published by Bernama news agency. “In the past, sex education was taught indirectly through other subjects, but now the government feels that PKRS needs to be a special subject to tackle the rise in social problems among teens," he began. “We cannot wait longer to implement this because according to our studies, many teens in the country do not know the function and importance of healthy interaction among guys and girls," he told reporters after launching the state-level Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) Excellence Award Day. It comes as the government here continues its attacks on the LGBT community. According to a government statement in late June, the government views the lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans-sexual (LGBT) issue “seriously" and is “controlling its spread" through prevention efforts and legal enforcement, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Mashitah Ibrahim again reiterated. She said these efforts were done with the help of the Islamic Development Department (Jakim) and State Religious Department (Jain) through programs such as the BEST! Tour which aimed to educate teenagers on social ills such as HIV Aids caused by homosexual lifestyles. “A series of rehabilitation and treatment courses will also be given to Muslims who have deviated from societal norms, while Jakim and Jain have conducted a Mukhayyam program with repented transsexuals to obtain positive feedback from them," she said in reply to an original question from Datuk Mohd Jidin (BN-Setiu) who wanted to know the government's seriousness in tackling LGBT issues in the country. In terms of enforcement, she said laws clearly stated in the Syariah Criminal Offences (Federal Territories) Act 1997 (Act 559) can only be enforced on Muslims. Mashitah said the government and state religious authorities will take legal action against any Muslims involved in LGBT and who flout laws in each state. There are no legal and religious provisions in Malaysia that allow homosexuality, free sex and same-sex marriages, she added.
