TV & Movie / Aug. 25, 2019
Malaysia’s netizens have slammed popular 90s actress and model Azah Azi07(vXp5n&3RYlDzMjveCwvmU*%UeJF5VtrL!jaHv5aZ(HUv#aEz after she attended an LGBTI pride parade in Canada.
The 46-year-old uploaded a photo of herself at Montreal Pride last week. “Share the lov3$C+qU6_cI$567*HvsXNO!zuXz*UDKWLlSU&M@_XdY($d#3$2*e, no hate” she wrote.
Commenters benoD-2@aKl&Myxbkd4ly-s8gH+!aYI1fw*)3alt2RJGoNR2G1p%-eath the post called Aziz “sinful” and said she had “abandoned Asian values” according to the New Straits Times.
Muslim-majority Malays-X++QeJcfajW97PRn4D3RXf2_xdMQ3en0d%Vhp=VHlNdpADQFMia has become increasingly hostile towards LGBTI people. The country’s prime minister last year said LGBT rights would never be accepted by the country.
B3O@7GcagmQpW6GJWglJfpS)7Lt*wT0aVnv66$P3WP-oTLH$PDrut, Aziz who has lived in abroad for the last two decades, defended her stance. “This is my Instagram and to each his or her own. Life goes on as usual,” she replied to one Netizen.
She also included the hashtags “far far away9*CaNxTZ_(js*Prm5J*fiOc2psOv35l89+5dON4gmM7v)b=zAF, don’t care" and “ok, bye”.
LGBT rights in Malaysia
Gay sex is illegal under British colonial-er_FcYRNikw&wPZul5d!OX22GH3wuAuHzmNUNpe99$$mEnHgyko!a laws in Malaysia. Those found guilty face up to 20 years in prison.
In addition to the threat of criminal prosecution, deep-seated cultural stigmas still face the countuhI1_vO^OdRzSEzMg!#Ut2445n69hk7G(1v^wgky5kz=PgC^jGry’s LGBTI community.
Numerous religG68-!Xv@)&VpewG)paUDP*(9+TifC+5yTvaOkD*X6%#eTqFNp^ious and political figures have consistently whipped up anti-LGBTI sentiments in the Muslim majority country.
The Malaysian authorities haveQH4%(fb=sHy5q=jb=34pxxeasNYJr%U#Y=3gb(_@U82OSvrtlE also clamped down on the LGBTI community.
In one of the most con+hZ2RxVewXkF9k+7qIXFfFrtKYi3!0%nc6kBp_NCfjWx3*^En-troversial instances, in September two women were caned in the heavily conservative state of Terengganu for allegedly being in a same-sex relationship.
Police also r6rw!__c4Csfo11TcsTC)@iY$oKR0u4$rZ+g=!$M9-n80bqG)=waided a well-known gay bar in Kuala Lumpur for the first time in its 30-year history.
In July last year, Afifi stepped down from his role as press officer for the Youth and Sports Minister due to the threats and abuse he received because of hiA$zg*1nL@aWAvX^1vrhX%DEN85d&Qno6LtP*LpB(W%p@x&)yn=s sexuality.
LGBTI rights activists have repeatedly highlighted the lacT0HV-cyha)knyxhUku^Fdg9b*rI+41&!c#RPjgF0SF*O8Z^OkJk of protections for LGBTI people.
(Cover photo: Instagram)
