R Nadeswaran
Published: Apr 1, 2025 9:20 AM
Updated: 12:20 PM
COMMENT | Thanks to the Home Ministry’s raid and seizure of 172 Swatch watches in 2023, a Malaysian man was granted asylum in the United Kingdom.
A tribunal ruled that the man, who was given anonymity, likely faced persecution for being gay, with judge Bijan Hoshi ruling that Malaysia’s ban on Swatch’s Pride wrist watches showed he was at risk of persecution if sent back.
The Home Ministry contended then that the sale of such timepieces “may harm the interests of the nation by promoting, supporting, and normalising the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBTQ+) community.”
However, last year, the ministry had to retreat after a court ruled that the seizure was illegal.
If the ministry bigwigs, including the minister, had thought judge Amarjeet Singh’s decision at the Kuala Lumpur High Court would end their embarrassment (including Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s rebuke that it was an overreaction), they were wrong.
In an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour in 2023, before the court decision, Anwar said the country bans content that openly supports the LGBTQ+ community because its people of diverse faiths have agreed to reject such public displays.
Published: Apr 1, 2025 9:20 AM
Updated: 12:20 PM
COMMENT | Thanks to the Home Ministry’s raid and seizure of 172 Swatch watches in 2023, a Malaysian man was granted asylum in the United Kingdom.
A tribunal ruled that the man, who was given anonymity, likely faced persecution for being gay, with judge Bijan Hoshi ruling that Malaysia’s ban on Swatch’s Pride wrist watches showed he was at risk of persecution if sent back.
The Home Ministry contended then that the sale of such timepieces “may harm the interests of the nation by promoting, supporting, and normalising the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBTQ+) community.”
However, last year, the ministry had to retreat after a court ruled that the seizure was illegal.
If the ministry bigwigs, including the minister, had thought judge Amarjeet Singh’s decision at the Kuala Lumpur High Court would end their embarrassment (including Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s rebuke that it was an overreaction), they were wrong.
In an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour in 2023, before the court decision, Anwar said the country bans content that openly supports the LGBTQ+ community because its people of diverse faiths have agreed to reject such public displays.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim
“I will not defend that action; it is excessive. But the law, people in this country are Muslim and non-Muslim, Christian, Hindu, and Buddhist; they expressed their consensus, in this country, they do not accept open public displays,” he said.
The UK tribunal made its decision in February, but the Daily Mail published the findings only last week. It quoted Hoshi as saying that it was “entirely plausible” for the individual to fear persecution if he were to return to the country due to the “extreme hostility” shown towards the LGBTQ+ community.
In his ruling, the judge referred to the banning of the “Pride collection” of watches made by the Swiss company Swatch in 2023 as an example of how even small actions in support of the LGBTQ+ community can result in lengthy prison sentences.
“The (Malaysian) government is extremely hostile towards the LGBTQ+ community,” he remarked.
Making headlines for the wrong reasons
Hoshi also touched on Malaysia’s “active harassment” of the community, in which organisers and attendees of demonstrations in support of LGBTQ+ rights are often arrested.
“I will not defend that action; it is excessive. But the law, people in this country are Muslim and non-Muslim, Christian, Hindu, and Buddhist; they expressed their consensus, in this country, they do not accept open public displays,” he said.
The UK tribunal made its decision in February, but the Daily Mail published the findings only last week. It quoted Hoshi as saying that it was “entirely plausible” for the individual to fear persecution if he were to return to the country due to the “extreme hostility” shown towards the LGBTQ+ community.
In his ruling, the judge referred to the banning of the “Pride collection” of watches made by the Swiss company Swatch in 2023 as an example of how even small actions in support of the LGBTQ+ community can result in lengthy prison sentences.
“The (Malaysian) government is extremely hostile towards the LGBTQ+ community,” he remarked.
Making headlines for the wrong reasons
Hoshi also touched on Malaysia’s “active harassment” of the community, in which organisers and attendees of demonstrations in support of LGBTQ+ rights are often arrested.
He referred to evidence he was told in the hearing, in which the country’s prime minister (Anwar) rejected the idea that LGBTQ+ Malaysians would be “recognised and protected” under his government.
He added: “On the basis of our analysis above, we do not consider that it would be safe for the [asylum seeker] to return to any part of Malaysia and live there openly as a gay man.”
Yes, we are making the headlines in the UK for the wrong reasons again.
Of course, the religious zealots and detractors will say that it is a Jewish/Zionist conspiracy to harm Malaysia’s reputation for speaking out against the atrocities committed by Israel in Gaza.
Next year is Visit Malaysia Year, and promotions are in full swing globally. Expectedly, the authorities will say that such negative news will not affect their campaign.
But there are large LGBTQ+ communities in many countries, including the UK, and they cannot be dismissed just like that, as these communities can marshal their members and supporters.
What is more important is that immediate action must be taken to present the correct picture rather than what was presented in court.
In 2009, after part-time Malaysian-Muslim model Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno was sentenced to six lashes and a fine of RM5,000 for consuming alcohol, it generated negative publicity.
Would-be visitors were wondering if they would be able to consume alcohol in Malaysia.
She finally had her sentence reduced by the then-Pahang sultan, to be substituted with three weeks of community service at a children’s home.
(The sultan is the head of Islam in the respective states and has the power to rule on matters of Islamic law. The offence was committed at a beach resort in Pahang.)
I worked in London from 2010 to 2012, and most of the time, when there was a story about Malaysia, the picture of Kartika would be used in most newspapers, accompanied by a caption related to the caning.
Malaysia again made the headlines when the Swatch watches were seized, and again when the court ordered their return.
Now, Swatch will feature in yet another round of infamy for Malaysia, and remedial steps must be taken to control the damage.
R NADESWARAN is a veteran journalist who tries to live up to the ethos of civil rights leader John Lewis: “When you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, you have to speak up. You have to say something; you have to do something.” Comments: citizen.nades22@gmail.com
Yup, the Swatch raid in 2023 did much damage to Malaysia's international standing, especially the Home Minister's arrogant stand refusing to accept that the seizure was unlawful.
ReplyDelete