Malaysia has come under the international spotlight once again, with the government staging an anti-lesbian, gay, bisexual and transexual (LGBT) musical in schools and universities.
This comes despite its initial run of the musical 'Asmara Songsang' (Deviant Love) at the national theatre Istana Budaya early this month having raised eyebrows.
Major British daily The Guardian said 'Asmara Songsang' has sparked controversy over "state-sponsored bigotry" and its potential to incite hatred.
The author of the musical and its director, Rahman Adam, 73, told the daily that it was aimed at educating youngsters and parents about the ills of LGBT.
"Nowadays in Malaysia, you read so many things in newspapers about LGBT... because (LGBT) are going into schools and influencing children.
"They (LGBTs) are out to have homosexual and lesbian sex, and although right now it is not so serious, we need to act - to do something, to say something, to say that this is bad and not to follow it," Rahman was quoted as saying.
'Asmara Songsang' was shown free of charge at the national theatre on March 1 and 2.
Popular arts portal Kakiseni in its review of the musical said, among other things, "There was almost nothing from the LGBT's side of the story that wasn't hyperbolic, and there wasn't a scene that wasn't utterly condescending in nature."
The reviewer, Alia Ali, further opined that "this is as narrow-minded and bigoted a view as one could get".
'Unrepentant LGBTs struck by lightning'
The story portrays the lives of three LGBT friends who like to party, take drugs and have casual sex and are subsequently asked to repent by their religious neighbours, who try to reintroduce Islam to them.
Those who repent are spared and those who do not are struck by lightning and killed.
The musical was produced with support from the Information, Communications and Culture Ministry.
According to news portal mStar, the musical will be extended to universities after its Istana Budaya showing in a bid to "curb the LGBT culture".
The portal quotes Special Affairs Department (Jasa) director-general Fuad Hassan as saying: "We will bring the show to public and private higher education institutions in a few states and major cities...
"Before this, we have done all kinds of ways, such as ceramah and motivational programmes to stem this trend and now a theatre is one of the new initiatives to attract the young."
This comes despite its initial run of the musical 'Asmara Songsang' (Deviant Love) at the national theatre Istana Budaya early this month having raised eyebrows.
Major British daily The Guardian said 'Asmara Songsang' has sparked controversy over "state-sponsored bigotry" and its potential to incite hatred.
The author of the musical and its director, Rahman Adam, 73, told the daily that it was aimed at educating youngsters and parents about the ills of LGBT."Nowadays in Malaysia, you read so many things in newspapers about LGBT... because (LGBT) are going into schools and influencing children.
"They (LGBTs) are out to have homosexual and lesbian sex, and although right now it is not so serious, we need to act - to do something, to say something, to say that this is bad and not to follow it," Rahman was quoted as saying.
'Asmara Songsang' was shown free of charge at the national theatre on March 1 and 2.
Popular arts portal Kakiseni in its review of the musical said, among other things, "There was almost nothing from the LGBT's side of the story that wasn't hyperbolic, and there wasn't a scene that wasn't utterly condescending in nature."
The reviewer, Alia Ali, further opined that "this is as narrow-minded and bigoted a view as one could get".
'Unrepentant LGBTs struck by lightning'
The story portrays the lives of three LGBT friends who like to party, take drugs and have casual sex and are subsequently asked to repent by their religious neighbours, who try to reintroduce Islam to them.
Those who repent are spared and those who do not are struck by lightning and killed.
The musical was produced with support from the Information, Communications and Culture Ministry.
According to news portal mStar, the musical will be extended to universities after its Istana Budaya showing in a bid to "curb the LGBT culture".
The portal quotes Special Affairs Department (Jasa) director-general Fuad Hassan as saying: "We will bring the show to public and private higher education institutions in a few states and major cities..."Before this, we have done all kinds of ways, such as ceramah and motivational programmes to stem this trend and now a theatre is one of the new initiatives to attract the young."
Meanwhile, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris student representative council member Mohammad Syafiq Abdul Majeed confirmed that the play was staged at his university on March 25.
“It was held at our grand hall and the play was around 45 minutes long,” he said.
Mohammad Syafiq questioned the involvement of Jasa, widely seen as the propaganda division of the government.
The government in September last year held a seminar on how to spot LGBTs, at which participants were told that symptoms of 'male LGBTs' included having a muscular body and a tendency to wear V-necked T-shirts.
In April 2011, the government also conducted a boot camp for "effeminate children" in Terengganu in a bid to "correct" them.
“It was held at our grand hall and the play was around 45 minutes long,” he said.
Mohammad Syafiq questioned the involvement of Jasa, widely seen as the propaganda division of the government.
The government in September last year held a seminar on how to spot LGBTs, at which participants were told that symptoms of 'male LGBTs' included having a muscular body and a tendency to wear V-necked T-shirts.
In April 2011, the government also conducted a boot camp for "effeminate children" in Terengganu in a bid to "correct" them.
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