From Rajesh Nagarajan

The Terengganu government has sunk to a new low with its anti-LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) signboard. State executive councillor Wan Sukairi Wan Abdullah of PAS has stated: “We want the public to hate homosexual acts. We want them to see it as filthy and wrong.”

Wan Sukairi’s hateful mindset is an affront to right-thinking members of society. Here we have a politician coming out in public and shamelessly advocating hate crimes in Malaysia.

This would easily be defined as a crime in other countries, but not ours. We are tolerating politicians advocating hate against an entire community.

There is no outcry from the ruling coalitions to affirm that everyone is equal irrespective of their sexual orientation. An undignified silence is all we have.

A hate crime has been perpetrated and yet no action has been taken and can be taken. Thanks to the current and previous governments, we do not have laws against hate crimes.

Malaysia has, to date, failed to ratify the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. This would have enabled action to be taken to stop all forms of discrimination, including any discrimination against the LGBT community.

This call for hate must stop. It is none of our business how our neighbours have sex or who they have sex with. It is a private right that should not be intruded upon and the state cannot and should not be interested in the sexual orientation of its rakyat.

Rajesh Nagarajan is a lawyer and human rights advocate.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.