KUALA LUMPUR, July 9 — A queer rights activist today condemned an attempt by unknown parties to misrepresent the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community through a fake protest.

Human rights group Seksualiti Merdeka co-founder Pang Khee Teik said he consulted other activists about the existence of a group called Gabungan Gay Malaysia, only to find that it does not exist.

"None of us have ever heard of Gabungan Gay Malaysia or Joe Michael. We don’t think there is such a group,” he said in a statement, adding that he suspects it to be the work of ‘anti-Pakatan Harapan parties’.

"We have never felt any government of Malaysia ever been encouraging for LGBT people here [sic], and we will never refer to ourselves as ‘golongan gay’. That is the language of homophobes,” Pang said.

He apologised to members of the press who showed up at the Youth and Sports ministry in Putrajaya this morning, only to find no one there.

"We are sorry you wasted your morning. Next time just reach out to LGBT activists and ask us,” Pang said.

The supposed protest, which went viral yesterday on social media, was to be held against Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman for not acknowledging that he had hired a gay special officer.