Home Ministry should appeal court’s decision lifting “Gay is OK!” book ban

PUTRAJAYA: Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Ahmad Marzuk Shaary said he hoped that the Home Ministry will file an appeal against the High Court’s decision allowing the distribution of the book “Gay is OK! A Christian Perspective” in the country.

This, he said was to avoid disruption of public order, especially among Muslims.

“There is no need to normalise lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) in Malaysia, which its official religion is Islam,” he told reporters after the launching of the LGBT hijrah community manual by the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim), today.

Yesterday, the High Court quashed the ban on the book after finding that there were no evidence or legal factual basis for the Home Minister's justification which formed the basis of the ban.

The Home Ministry has gazetted a prohibition order on the publication under Section 7(1) of the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984, effective Nov 27, 2020.

The book’s publisher Chong Ton Sin and author Ngeo Boon Lin then filed a judicial review application on Feb 17, last year, on grounds that the ban was irrational and disproportionate as no untoward incidents were triggered by the book since its publication, eight years ago.

Meanwhile, Ahmad Marzuk said Jakim will be monitoring the animation content which promotes LGBT in the country.

“We are aware that there are animations subtly promoting LGBT and we are monitoring this to be reported to the Communications and Multimedia Commission for further action,” he said.