SHAH ALAM - The widespread availability of pornographic content and the growing popularity of dating apps among the younger generation are among the factors contributing to the increase in homosexual activity among university students.
Malaysian Islamic Students Coalition (Gamis) president Imran Sulaiman said the involvement of the community, especially students, in these platforms has been observed to increase, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic phase, leading them to access such content more frequently.
"When they enter campus or starting their careers, there might be a desire to explore these things, regardless of whether they are men or women.
"There are also those who lack religious education on this issue. This topic is sensitive and it is something that parents may not openly discuss with their children.
"As a result, children do not know what is good or bad, do not have clear knowledge on the matter and are unaware of the negative effects of indulging in such desires.
"This could also be a reason for getting involved in homosexual relationships," he told Sinar.
Islamic Science University of Malaysia (Usim) Student Representative Council (MPP) president Mohamad Zulfithri Mohd Johari said peer influence was also a factor leading to the rise in HIV cases.
"Maybe they are influenced by friends to watch inappropriate content on various platforms, which then affects their behaviour.
"At first, they might experiment with the opposite sex and then, they move towards the same sex.
"They are also influenced by social media. Nowadays, many mobile apps share indecent content," he said.
The Higher Education Ministry revealed in Parliament last week a worrying increase in HIV infections among students aged 18 to 25 in higher education institutions (IPTs).
Its minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir said 214 students from public and private IPTs were reported to have HIV in 2020, followed by 186 cases (2021), 221 cases (2022) and 244 cases (2023).