The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia, Suhakam, has denied that it is working towards legalizing same-sex marriage.
However, the commission maintained that it was working to give everyone the same ‘basic’ rights under the Federal Constitution.
The commission’s statement comes in response to the country’s prime minister Mahathir Mohamad.
Mahathir had earlier indicated that Suhakam was working towards LGBT equality, which the prime minister maintained is unacceptable in Malaysia.
‘Does not support same-sex marriages’
‘Suhakam does not support same-sex marriages in Malaysia,’ Suhakam chairman, Razali Ismail, said in a statement.
‘While Suhakam believes and subscribes to the universality of human rights, Suhakam does not fail to take into account our context-specific values,’ Malaysiakini reported.
‘However, Suhakam is steadfast in its position that no one has the right to discriminate LGBT [people] or treat them with hate or violence.’
Razali went onto say reaffirm the needs for basic human rights. He also insisted that the government introduce anti-discrimination laws to protect all Malaysians.
‘The government cannot allow a situation where personal religious beliefs coupled with government inaction and political homophobia become a license for violence against LGBTs.
‘Suhakam reiterates that all individuals, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity
have the same basic rights as enshrined in our Federal Constitution.’
‘We cannot accept LGBT’
On Friday (21 September), following a meeting of the Special Cabinet Committee on Anti-Corruption, Mahathir agreed to ’empower’ Suhakam.
However, the prime minister also spoke against accepting LGBTI equality in Malaysia.
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Mahathir said: ‘While we agree with Suhakam’s suggestions, we have to remind Sukaham that our value system is different from the west.
‘We cannot accept, for example, LGBT, or marriage between men and men, women and women.
‘Our concept of family remains the same, that couples with children, with their own children, is a family, even adopted children. But two men or two women is not considered a family.’
Ongoing dispute
The statements come during a high-profile dispute regarding LGBTI rights in Malaysia.
Recent months have seen a war of words between rights activists and influential Islamic groups.
It has also seen some high-profile persecution against the LGBTI community, including the caning of two women for same-sex sexual relations, and a police raid on a popular gay bar in the Kuala Lumpur.
The largely Islamic country has a poor record on LGBTI rights, with the LGBTI community often experiencing cultural stigma.
