KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 2 —- Deputy Speaker Datuk Ronald Kiandee today rejected a Barisan Nasional (BN) motion to condemn Comango, a coalition of non-governmental organisations that allegedly supports lesbian, bisexual, gay and transexual (LBGT) rights, which a BN MP claimed was a threat to Islam.

Kiandee said he found the motion to be of public importance but deemed it of no urgency for debate as the Foreign Ministry and a minister in the Prime Minister’s Department have already addressed the matter on November 11.

In the motion proposed by Tanjung Karang Umno MP Datuk Seri Noh Omar, it was alleged that Coalition of Malaysian NGOs in the Universal Periodic Review Process (Comango) had tried to push its demands for a liberal Malaysia at the United Nations Human Rights Council periodic review of the country’s human rights.

Noh, in echoing the views of other Muslim hardline groups like Perkasa and Isma, claimed among Comango’s complaints to the council were Putrajaya’s discriminative policies against sexual minorities, a move he said was aimed at undermining Islam’s position as Malaysia’s official religion.

Speaking to reporters outside the Dewan Rakyat, Noh said he was disappointed that the motion had been rejected as the issue could have helped “forge” unity between rivals Umno and PAS, both of whom allegedly share their opposition to Comango’s liberal agenda.

“This thing has become of public interest. We can see many among PAS leaders, including its president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang... have asked the government not to cave in to Comango’s demands,” Noh said.

“Since the matter is of public interest and that everyone is talking about it, also it comes when people are talking about a muzakarah (dialogue), I feel this could be the first step towards a muzakarah between Umno and PAS because the demands of Comango is clearly against the Constitution and is against Islam”.

Today, Noh claimed that Comango’s attempt to exert pressure on Malaysia to become more liberal through international channels could be seen in the statement made by a UN Special Rapporteur recently.

Frank La Rue, a UN official on freedom of expression, had called on Putrajaya to respect minority rights to practise their faith by lifting the ban on the use of “Allah” in the Catholic Church’s weekly paper Herald.

“Now there are as if international parties that want to interfere in our domestic affairs and also in our judiciary system... those in the international community do not understand of our history, culture and Constitution.

“So they can make all this statement that encroaches our judiciary system,” he said.

Last month, the Court of Appeal ruled that the Home Ministry’s decision to ban the use of the word in the Herald was justified, saying that the use of the word “Allah” was “not an integral part” of the practice of the Christian faith.

But Rita Izsák, UN Independent Expert on minority issues, said the ban had effectively breached the local Christian community’s freedom to practice their faith, expressing her concern that it could affect the interfaith relations here.

Comango’s report last month to the United Nations (UN) on Malaysia’s human rights record touches on issues such as the administration of justice; freedom of religion, expression and participation; rights to work, health and education; indigenous and migrants’ rights; and discrimination involving sexual orientation and race.

Its recommendation for freedom of religion was interpreted by critics as encouraging Muslim apostasy, which is forbidden in Islam, and taken as an affront to the religion.

The group has remained under fire from Muslim groups as well as Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom, the minister in charge of Islamic affairs, for what they allege to be a global conspiracy to undermine Islam as the country’s official religion.