FMT:
Muda demands home ministry explain recent Swatch raids
Muda deputy president says the raids send a message to companies that it’s not safe to operate in Malaysia.
Muda deputy president Amira Aisya Abdul Aziz asked whether Malaysia is going to start raiding all shops that sell anything with rainbow/pride painted on it, including the small businesses. (Bernama pic)
PETALING JAYA: Muda deputy president Amira Aisya Abdul Aziz has called upon home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail to explain Putrajaya’s position on the Swatch outlet raids yesterday.
In a tweet today, the Puteri Wangsa assemblyman voiced her concern about the “ambiguity” of what can be construed as “harmful”.
“This is a slippery slope. Are we going to start raiding all shops that sell anything with rainbow/pride painted on it, including the small businesses?
“We’re sending a message that it’s not safe for brands and companies to operate in Malaysia. The minister has to explain the government’s stand on this matter.
“Where do we draw the line?” Amira said.
Her tweet, which was posted at 3.45pm prompted 136 retweets, 65 quotes, 253 likes and 11 bookmarks at the time of publication.
The Edge business weekly reported that the home ministry raided 11 Swatch outlets in shopping malls across the country – including Pavilion KL, One Utama, Sunway Pyramid, Mid Valley Megamall, Suria Sabah – on May 13 and 14.
Five shops at malls in Alor Star, Kuala Terengganu, Kota Bharu, Johor Bahru and Kuching were let off with warnings.
Enforcement officers seized the brand’s “Pride Collection”, featuring watches with rainbow colours after social media users linked the collection to British band Coldplay’s support for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community.
The band is scheduled to hold its first concert in Malaysia in November and a PAS leader has called for the show to be cancelled for promoting “hedonism and deviant cultures”.
PETALING JAYA: Muda deputy president Amira Aisya Abdul Aziz has called upon home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail to explain Putrajaya’s position on the Swatch outlet raids yesterday.
In a tweet today, the Puteri Wangsa assemblyman voiced her concern about the “ambiguity” of what can be construed as “harmful”.
“This is a slippery slope. Are we going to start raiding all shops that sell anything with rainbow/pride painted on it, including the small businesses?
“We’re sending a message that it’s not safe for brands and companies to operate in Malaysia. The minister has to explain the government’s stand on this matter.
“Where do we draw the line?” Amira said.
Her tweet, which was posted at 3.45pm prompted 136 retweets, 65 quotes, 253 likes and 11 bookmarks at the time of publication.
The Edge business weekly reported that the home ministry raided 11 Swatch outlets in shopping malls across the country – including Pavilion KL, One Utama, Sunway Pyramid, Mid Valley Megamall, Suria Sabah – on May 13 and 14.
Five shops at malls in Alor Star, Kuala Terengganu, Kota Bharu, Johor Bahru and Kuching were let off with warnings.
Enforcement officers seized the brand’s “Pride Collection”, featuring watches with rainbow colours after social media users linked the collection to British band Coldplay’s support for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community.
The band is scheduled to hold its first concert in Malaysia in November and a PAS leader has called for the show to be cancelled for promoting “hedonism and deviant cultures”.
At least someone is questioning the dubious rainbow watch raids.
ReplyDeleteBut Muda is "irrelevant" as someone in UMNO said.
Just saw a "Pride" T-shirt being openly sold at a Pasar Malam the other day....and the seller was a Malay guy. ..hahaha .
ReplyDeleteHowever there was no openly pro-LGBT writing or slogan on it ..neither was there any on the rainbow-coloured Swatch watches.
Not sure how the Home Ministry justifies it's seizure.
Swatch watches are good "souvenirs" for the raiding party
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