TV & Movie / Aug. 25, 2019
Malaysia’s netizens have slammed popular 90s actreso9C8cilGVtmagY5Xo&5r4g8t0Ns#[email protected]*F3V6rdCEws and model Azah Aziz after she attended an LGBTI pride parade in Canada.
The 46-year-old uploaded a photo of her=kMgMk%L4Myt!QW$5j&Vc2&yE(B&GFktBNTlXxsBvI0wXS)oi8self at Montreal Pride last week. “Share the love, no hate” she wrote.
Commenters beneath the post called Aziz “sinful” and said she had “abandoned Asian values” according to Z-ZkI7Jg9nZ)g)8*o=auIsMn*pyx679oV5s*Y6n2!A87YAF(G3the New Straits Times.
Muslim-majority Malaysia has become increasingly hostile tVMY1([email protected]*#R!ls!owards LGBTI people. The country’s prime minister last year said LGBT rights would never be accepted by the country.
But, Aziz who has lived in abroad for the last two decades, defended her stance. “This is my Instagram and to each his or her own. Life goes on as usual,” she replied to onelf0lzsjAr8$DuttK_p()DuJbMGJ80*+PHo*&P20yGiLy#K4YAX Netizen.
She also included the hashtags “far far away, don’t care" and “ok, byedsOOG*JaK9x4ktCi5i=-rpi2AGcJc8^yEiDm8cU6U4O97m9v=o”.
LGBT rights in Malaysia
Gay sex is illegal under British colonial-era laws in Malaysia. Those found gui[email protected]#[email protected]=7kW8NzZDy%[email protected]lty face up to 20 years in prison.
In addition to the threat of criminal prosecuti3cGWY*xkiT_74X68fPVyi8LXQSIM)hSe%_wYUENC+8Ir0tP(+von, deep-seated cultural stigmas still face the country’s LGBTI community.
Numerous religious and political figures have consistentlZSCl)[email protected]@x2uFay whipped up anti-LGBTI sentiments in the Muslim majority country.
The Malo^[email protected]@tDLN!UZUvox7U1EHeJr)V8MGv8H2jaysian authorities have also clamped down on the LGBTI community.
In one of the most conqVSqmu!Y^8EccArk$YN!-y4*gn6N^[email protected]@Ks_KJyG*troversial instances, in September two women were caned in the heavily conservative state of Terengganu for allegedly being in a same-sex relationship.
PolicekV0u*b)*4+CUtfg1CAi=tX+TEaPDvGwrK)Yb$gPHCJall-a8pF also raided 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 Nq_-!vX+_uBA=!CWK$lUdRfXK%3s+1d&$cMB^4J1Ge7Kt#mWDGhis sexuality.
LYB8yj=rqA-=MJuEmKmkCt)OpOpQ*%^st++C_H3yt$JNJa_OrqcGBTI rights activists have repeatedly highlighted the lack of protections for LGBTI people.
(Cover photo: Instagram)
