GEORGE TOWN, Aug 9 — Penang Amanah Youth has voiced their support for the removal of the portraits of two lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) activists at an exhibition celebrating the Merdeka month here.
Penang Amanah Youth Chief Saifullah Abdul Nasir said while they acknowledge the existence of the LGBT community, their lifestyle should be kept private.
He said they supported the orders of Minister in the Prime Minister Department Datuk Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa to remove the portraits from the Stripes and Strokes Exhibition.
“We respect that they deserve basic human rights and they have rights as Malaysians too but their lifestyle should be kept in a private space,” he said.
He said the LGBT lifestyle should not be openly promoted and should not be allowed to “transgress into the public space”.
He said everyone should adhere to the Rukun Negara and maintain courtesy and morality.
“We call on all who disagree to the open promotion of LGBT in public spaces to voice up against it, either in their social media or through official statements in the mass media,” he said.
He said they also planned to start a petition on this issue which they will hand over to the ministry in Putrajaya.
The portraits of LGBT activists Nisha Ayub and Pang Khee Teik were removed from the photography exhibition by Mooreyameen Mohamad at Dewan Sri Pinang on Tuesday.
The exhibition, which is also held in conjunction with George Town Festival, consists of 28 portraits of various Malaysians holding the Malaysian flag.
