JUNE 11 — The medical field can sometimes be incongruous. Every medical student is mandated to recite a variation of the Hippocratic Oath, swearing in essence that they would first and foremost “do no harm.”
yet, there exists doctors who would have no qualms at all avoiding the responsibility to prevent harm; if not inflicting harm outright to their patients, sometimes because they yield to their own religious beliefs — putting their god above the well-being and charity of their patients.
The health industry in the country is not quite a monolith. The Health Ministry’s mandate is clear — “we are ready to help” — although this honest dedication often faces obstacles that are either bureaucratic or financial.
All in all, the ministry is clear about its responsibility to the public. It states in its charter that it will provide quality, competent, friendly and professional service and use fair and impartial discretion to all customers regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, religion or socio-economic status.
But sometimes this message of doing no harm, dedicating oneself to the public, and avoiding discrimination can lose its meaning as it filters down the behemoth of civil service.
Which was perhaps how somebody in the Family Health Development Department, in his honest attempt to host a video competition for teenagers in order to encourage the practice of a healthy lifestyle, had carelessly decided that “gender confusion” is one of the issues that needs “fixing” without considering the implication.
In the contest that offers up to RM4,000 in cash prizes, “gender confusion” was listed as one of the three topics, along with “sexual reproductive” and “cybersex.” The contest later specified the examples of “gender confusion” as gay, lesbian, transgender, transvestites, and tomboy, together with its pejorative label “pengkid.”
The contest required a three-minute video that must address the cause and effect of the topic listed, how to solve a problem regarding it, and the most contentious point — how to prevent, control and get help when it comes to the topic.
It was apparent the message that was being sent by the contest. It has failed to recognise homosexuality and transgender as sexual orientation and gender identity, labelling them simply as “confusion.” Not only that, the contest also viewed them as something that needs to be curbed and hindered.
The decision was slammed by the LGBT community, especially those who have all this while worked hand in hand with the ministry when it comes to managing the community. Several had even suggested the community retract its support of the ministry’s activities, researches and programmes.
“How can the ministry encourage miseducation and misinformation to the public and at the same time impose hatred towards the community? Ministry of Health should be educating the public from a health perspective not personal beliefs,” said transgender activist Nisha Ayub on her Facebook profile.
In return, deputy director-general of health (public health) Datuk Dr Lokman Hakim Sulaiman quickly responded by saying that its goal was to empower teens to make “wise decisions”, and the LGBT community is not discriminated against when it comes to health services.
The initial statement to defend the contest had failed to address the concerns brought up by the LGBT community, specifically that it would encourage discrimination, hatred and violence against the sexual minorities.
Not only that, the defence had also emboldened the Islamist lobby, who then issued their “support” for the Health Ministry. i-Medik, the medical arm of Islamist group Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma), quickly fell into its stance when it comes to LGBT — that it needs to be eradicated in order to combat HIV and AIDS. Of course as always, the group conveniently ignores the statistics involving heterosexuals.
Several doctors also publicly came out with their “support” for the Health Ministry, claiming that the ministry needs defending against the attack of the LGBT community. Ultimately, however, it was obvious that such doctors were merely defending the influence of Islamisation in the health industry.
Nobody quite expected what happened next, and that included me. And you can chalk that to the pessimism and defeatism that has permeated liberals and progressives in the country. Or to our naivete that undermined the experience and adeptness of the HIV/AIDS activist circles.
The Malaysian AIDS Council did not only voice its support for the LGBT community following the contest, but it organised a meet with the ministry itself to address the issue. Several civil activists joined the meeting led by the director of the Family Health Development Division last week. Nisha Ayub was one of them.
In a move that can only be seen as a victory for the LGBT community and human rights as a whole, the ministry agreed to drop “gender confusion” as one of the topics.
“Everyone unanimously agreed that continuing this competition is an important step towards the progress and advancement of the sexual reproductive health programme for adolescents in Malaysia,” Dr Lokman said in a recent statement.
Safe to say, none of the doctors from the Islamist lobby has yet to come out and support the Health Ministry this time around, further revealing that their endorsement was nothing but empty talk -- hollow, conditional, and dependent on Putrajaya toeing their religious agenda.
The ministry’s decision to alter the contest was not as significant as its decision to have a dialogue and listen to the concerns of the minorities. It proved that it can walk the talk when it comes to its pledge of non-discrimination, and this message should be taken to heart by its members and the medical fraternity.
Furthermore, it comes at a momentous time when the Islamist lobby is ramping up its attacks on the LGBT community and its allies through repugnant and vile smear campaigns that does nothing for the reputation of their faith.
It comes as an LGBT awareness campaign organised by students in a private university was forced to be cancelled, after complaints that it was scheduled during Ramadan.
Just like how Beauty and the Beast had escaped cuts, this offers a glimmer of hope that discrimination, bigotry and zealotry are little by little being pushed back by understanding, compassion and acceptance.
We need that silver lining now more than ever, and the Health Ministry must be praised for taking the chance to be on the right side of history. This must not end here, and going ahead, the ministry deserves our support.
* This is the personal opinion of the columnist.
