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New York Times
5 days ago
- General
- New York Times
Gay-Themed Forum Is Canceled in Malaysia
A planned forum on L.G.B.T.Q.-related themes in Malaysia was indefinitely postponed after online attacks by the public and harsh criticism by a government official. It's the latest instance of how the government of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has taken a harder line in an effort to shore up support among the country's Muslim majority. Malaysia's Parliament now includes the conservative Islamist party, Parti Islam SeMalaysia, which is the largest party in the lower house. Its growing influence has increased pressure on the government to adopt more conservative positions, with the party accusing Mr. Anwar's administration of failing to safeguard Islamic values. In the past, Mr. Anwar has expressed a degree of tolerance toward the L.G.B.T.Q. community. 'Muslims and non-Muslims alike, there is a consensus — they do not accept this,' he said in a 2023 interview with CNN, referring to public displays of affection by gay people. 'But do we then go and harass them? That is a different subject. I do not approve of any attempt to harass.' The workshop, titled 'Pride Care: Queer Stories & Sexual Health Awareness' and organized by the youth wing of a small opposition party, was to take place next month. Efforts to publicize the event on social media quickly went viral, prompting hateful comments and death threats by the public. Many posts tagged the Royal Malaysian Police, urging them to investigate the event. On Wednesday, Mohd Na'im Mokhtar, the government's religious affairs minister, described the planned gathering as a promotion of 'deviant culture.' Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Straits Times
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Malaysia Edition: Why a fringe party should worry PM Anwar
Asian Insider: Malaysia Edition helps you connect the dots on the biggest stories playing out in Malaysia every week. Sign up here to get the newsletter in your inbox. It's election fever in Singapore and Australia, but Malaysia has somehow found a way to get involved. First, a couple of Parti Islam SeMalaysia officials had their social media posts blocked in Singapore, after being accused of attempting to influence the city state's polls on May 3. Then there's Hannah Thomas, the daughter of Malaysia's former attorney-general Tommy Thomas, who is contesting against caretaker prime minister Anthony Albanese in Australia's federal election on the same day. Closer to home, PM Anwar Ibrahim's ally Barisan Nasional easily won last weekend's by-election in Perak state. But what he should look closely at is the vote share surge of Parti Sosialis Malaysia, which could signal unhappiness with his Pakatan Harapan coalition. Read also about how Malaysia is setting aside RM600 million to restore heritage sites of its capital Kuala Lumpur. This includes refurbishing Carcosa Seri Negara, the old seat of the British colonial administration that was featured in the movie Crazy Rich Asians. Follow ST's coverage as we continue to bring you the latest developments.
Straits Times
26-04-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Greater effort must be made to engage minority groups, says PM Wong
This does not mean that citizens cannot talk about race and religion, but that they must be careful, sensible and reasonable in doing so, stressed PM Wong. ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG Follow our live coverage here. SINGAPORE - Greater effort must be made to engage different communities, including those of different races and causes, and MPs should continue to highlight their concerns in Parliament where necessary, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. Such concerns are legitimate and MPs should make them known, but this is very different from identity politics, which means championing one group's interests at the expense of shrinking the common space, he said at a press conference on April 26. If Singapore allows identity politics to happen, there could be pushback from the majority. Such examples of divided societies have already been seen elsewhere, said PM Wong. 'Yes, we are in an election contest. Yes, every party would like to win and gain more seats, but victory should not come at the price of our unity. That's too high a cost,' he said. He was speaking to reporters at the National Press Centre, a day after Singapore authorities announced they had found several foreigners attempting to influence the upcoming general election, and had moved to block Singapore users' access to the Facebook posts that sought to do so . A joint statement by the Ministry of Home Affairs and Elections Department on April 25 said the posts were targeted at Singaporeans, and urged them to vote along racial and religious lines. Asked where the line should be drawn when it comes to minority MPs raising concerns of the community in Parliament, versus mixing race and religion with politics, PM Wong acknowledged that in a multiracial and multi-religious community like Singapore, it is harder to be in the minority. Thus greater effort needs to be made to engage minority groups, he said. MPs engage ethnic communities and others who advocate for specific causes, and it is legitimate for such elected representatives to listen to such concerns and where necessary, raise them in Parliament, said PM Wong. But that is different from identity politics, which means championing the interests of one specific group over everything else, even at the expense of shrinking the common space, harming social harmony and even the national interest, he said. 'Let's not harm Singapore's cohesion. Let's have a care, let's have a good and fair contest, and then beyond the elections, we will continue with the engagements. 'We will continue listening, hearing all the different groups, and seeing how best to address the concerns of each community while making sure we strengthen our society and our shared Singaporean identity at the same time.' The foreigners on the authorities' radar, flagged on April 25, include Mr Iskandar Abdul Samad, the national treasurer of Parti Islam SeMalaysia, and the Islamist party's Selangor Youth chief Mohamed Sukri Omar. Mr Iskandar had expressed support for a candidate in GE2025, said the authorities. Online checks found that he had posted about his support for several WP members such as Mr Faisal Manap, and other opposition candidates. Asked if minority groups might be deterred from speaking up during the election period about their concerns for fear of crossing the line, PM Wong said that while there might be such concerns, the issue he has raised is not a new one. 'And whenever individuals do cross the line, sometimes it doesn't even require the government to act because online there will be moderating voices telling them, please have a care. And then because of that, individuals will say, 'I understand, I will exercise some restraint'.' He noted that during the Covid-19 pandemic, issues of race and religion had also come up. 'So these issues are always there - it can be stirred up in the midst of an election, it can come up during a crisis or a challenge, and then somebody fingers or blames a particular ethnic group for something wrong, and then emotions get riled up.' This does not mean that citizens cannot talk about race and religion, but that they must be careful, sensible and reasonable in doing so, stressed PM Wong. 'And this is something that is ongoing, it cannot be, you cannot do this by implementing laws or rules only; it's a mindset.' PM Wong was asked about the case of Mr Noor Deros, a Singaporean religious teacher based in Malaysia. Mr Noor had claimed that he had spoken to all the Malay candidates from the WP. He also claimed the WP had agreed to take up the concerns raised by the asatizah, or religious teachers, regarding the Malay/Muslim community in Singapore. PM Wong noted that Mr Noor had taken some very extreme positions on foreign policy in his online posts, such as saying that the United States and Israel were masterminds of terrorism. 'He calls for the expansion of Islamic principles at the expense of shrinking the common space that other faiths and other communities share in our multiracial society. These are positions that will go against our national interests.' If the PAP's leaders were to interact with people like him, they would make it clear that they do not agree with, or support his positions. 'We would state that position clearly with people like that privately and also publicly. And likewise I would encourage and call on all political parties to do the same,' said PM Wong. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Straits Times
26-04-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Reject identity politics, says PM Wong as he calls on political parties to make clear their position
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, speaking at a press conference, said that this is a matter of national importance. ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG Reject identity politics, says PM Wong as he calls on political parties to make clear their position Follow our live coverage here. SINGAPORE – Singapore should firmly reject identity politics, and keep race and religion out of the political space, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. A week before the nation heads to the polls on May 3, he called on all political parties to make clear their position on the matter. He explained that identity politics refers to candidates appealing for support on the basis of race and religion, and championing the interests of particular groups over everything else. Speaking at a press conference on April 26, he said: 'This is not a partisan or party matter. This is a matter of national importance.' He called on the leaders of all political parties to clarify their stance on two fundamental principles: that identity politics has no place in Singapore, and that religion and politics should not mix. He said: 'My call to all political parties is as I said: let's do our best not to push the boundaries and push the frontiers of race and religion, and bring in race and religion into politics.' He added that if all parties agree and exercise their campaign with an element of restraint, Singapore will be better off as a whole. He said: 'In the end, Singaporeans can choose whichever party they wish to support for their constituency and for their government, but we will not allow this to become an issue that divides us especially in the middle of an election campaign.' PM Wong was speaking a day after the government moved to block access to Facebook posts by two Malaysian politicians and an ex-ISA detainee for attempting to interfere in the ongoing election. The posts belong to Mr Iskandar Abdul Samad, the national treasurer of Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS), and the Islamist party's Selangor Youth chief Mohamed Sukri Omar. A third person, Facebook user 'Zai Nal', identified as Zulfikar Mohamad Shariff – an Australian citizen who renounced his Singapore citizenship in 2020 – was also named. They, along with a Singaporean religious teacher based in Malaysia known as Mr Noor Deros, had spotlighted several opposition politicians in social media posts, including incumbent Aljunied MP Faisal Manap, who is contesting Tampines GRC this year under the WP banner. Earlier that day, party chief Pritam Singh had said in response to the recent developments that the WP cannot be a successful political party 'if we play the race and religion card'. Asked to comment on the statements by the WP and other opposition parties, PM Wong said he had seen across the board a clear consensus to reject foreign interference in the election. PM Wong, who is Secretary-General of the PAP, added: 'I think that's good. I welcome that.' He added that while one cannot control what foreign actors say – be it support or endorsements – he called on parties to 'categorically reject these endorsements'. The fundamental principle is that foreigners should not decide the outcome of Singapore's elections, he said. He said: 'This is our country, our elections. Singaporeans alone decide the outcome of our elections.' He added that on issues that have the potential to undermine national interest, such as foreign policy, there should be a 'sense of unity in presenting to the world.' Adopting identity politics will result in more division, and Singaporeans will all pay the price, PM Wong said. He added: 'That's dangerous, because when one group jostles aggressively to assert its identity, others will organise and start to jostle back. 'You can see how this plays out in countries everywhere. You end up fueling our worst tendencies, hostilities and vengefulness across the side.' No one wins when this happens, PM Wong said. He said: 'The minority groups will fail to get what they want, because the majority group will push back strongly, and the minorities will find their space constricted. 'At the same time, the majority group will also live in the most unhappy society, where every issue comes down to race and religion. So no one is happy.' Social media posts 'crossed the line' The social media accounts that were blocked had targeted Singaporeans, and their posts were widely shared within the Singaporean community. This crossed the line, said PM Wong. He said: 'Singaporeans may have different views about issues, but we cannot allow external actors to exploit whatever differences we may have, to weaken us, or to advance their own interests.' Foreign influence is one side of the coin, but there are also other posts circulating online attempting to bring race and religion into politics, he said. He cited those by Singaporean activists proposing that Muslims should vote for candidates that are willing to advance a religious agenda. He said: 'These messages may be by Singaporeans, but we should also reject them, and were it a Christian, a Hindu or Buddhist group making the same demand, our response would be the same.' Mixing politics with religion is unacceptable in Singapore, he said, adding that the Government has always taken a firm stance against this. Doing so fractures the common space Singaporeans share, he warned. If elections become contests of faith, all communities will end up worse off, he added. Also, external powers will seek to explore these fault lines to advance their own agendas, he said. When asked if he was worried that the actions by authorities will cause backlash in terms of vote swings for GE2025, PM Wong said that the Government was not acting out of concern about the electoral outcome, but instead, focusing on the impact on Singapore's social harmony. This was the reason why authorities intervened during the campaign period and why he called for the press conference on April 26, said PM Wong, stressing how the matter went beyond politics. 'I'm not here to talk about my concerns about the party. I'm here to talk about my concern for Singapore, and our country,' said PM Wong. 'And this goes beyond one election, because once the faultlines deepen, once trust is eroded, it is so hard to recover again.' PM Wong was asked if there are other entities that are a cause for concern when it comes to foreign influence on GE2025, such as Critical Spectator, the Facebook page and website run by Polish national Michael Petraeus. Singapore's rules are clear and the outcome of its elections is for its citizens to decide, he stressed. Foreigners are allowed to write about elections, but they cross the line if they take a position on an issue or a candidate, or push for one over the other. This is especially so when it is about race and religion, he said. 'You start mixing race and religion into politics, that crosses the line. So the agencies and authorities will continue to monitor…but if anything crosses the line we will certainly take action,' he said. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
