Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Zulkifli Hasan recently claimed that work-related stress can be a factor in someone “becoming” LGBTQ+, a remark that sparked a wave of memes, curiosity and humour not only in Malaysia but around the world.
In a parliamentary reply dated Jan 26, Zulkifli (above) cited a study to support his assertion that workplace stress could lead a person to be categorised as LGBTQ+, while also pointing to low religious understanding as another contributing factor.
However, allegations soon emerged that the minister, who is an academic himself, may have lifted the claim almost verbatim from a separate academic paper.
According to checks by Malaysiakini, the minister's response was similar to a passage in "Fenomena LGBTQ dan Faktor-Faktor yang Meningkatkan Penglibatan Masa Kini" (LGBTQ Phenomena and Factors Increasing Involvement Today) by Zaifuddin Rasip, Anis Malik Toha, Solleh Ab Razak, and Siti Aisyah Yap Abdullah.
It was published in January last year, in the Muallim Journal of Social Science and Humanities.
The minister had said: “Meanwhile, for factors contributing to this LGBTQ+ issue, among others, a study conducted by Sulaiman et al (2017) shows that various factors influence the involvement of a person in the LGBTQ+ lifestyle.
“Community influence, sexual experiences, work stress, and other personal factors influence a person to be included in this category.
“This study stresses that a combination of these elements can contribute to the development of LGBTQ+ actions. By looking at previous studies, it can be concluded that family, social environment, and lack of religious comprehension are the main factors influencing LGBTQ+ symptoms.
“A person's sexual orientation and behaviour are significantly influenced by family, an unsupportive environment, and a low level of religious understanding and practise.”
Except for minor differences at the start of the minister's reply, this is the same as the last passage on the fourth page of the study.
This is further complicated by the fact that Sulaiman et al (2017) do not appear in the study’s list of references, raising questions about the basis of the citation.
The citation could refer to an Indonesian study by Sulaiman, Hasmiana Hasan, and Hafidh Maksum titled "Model Project Citizen Untuk Mengatasi Gaya Hidup LGBT" (Project Citizen Model to Overcome LGBT Lifestyle), which stated five factors of a person becoming LGBTQ+: the community, work, sex, the self, and spiritual strength.
However, it did not elaborate on the work factor, nor did it mention work stress specifically.
Malaysiakini was unable to verify whether this was the study referred to and had reached out to Zulkifli and two of his officers for comments.
As of press time, only one officer had responded, providing links to 15 references that did not address whether Zulkifli had drawn his parliamentary statement from the Indonesian study.
Attacks against LGBTQ+
After Zulkifli made the claim, activists hit back, with Justice For Sisters (JFS) co-founder Thilaga Sulathireh saying that the government is no stranger to employing misinformation over the LGBTQ+ community.
Clinical psychologist Shaleen Chrisanne said the minister's statement is an example of how mental health language can be used to cause harm to the queer community, describing it as a form of pathologising - a tactic that frames certain identities or behaviours as medical disorders to justify control, discrimination, or punishment of marginalised groups.
She said this strategy masquerades as concern or correction while perpetuating stigma and moral judgment as well as deepening social hierarchies.
Previously, JFS said that LGBTQ+ rights deteriorated sharply in 2025, with over 300 arrests between January and December based on actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression.
The group raised concerns about how the authorities had turned public complaints into legitimising repression of the queer community, such as with RTM pulling the children's cartoon “Santiago of the Seven Seas” off the air after viewers expressed worries about LGBTQ+ influences.
It also found that federal and state authorities, along with religious and political actors, have intensified anti-LGBTQ+ campaigns by exploiting HIV, religion, and moral narratives to spread misinformation about the community, entrench stigma, and justify harmful so-called rehabilitation practices.
In July last year, a coalition of NGOs and individuals pushed back against police claims that a recent raid in Kelantan targeted a “gay sex party”, insisting instead that the event was a legitimate HIV awareness and health outreach session.
JFS further noted a considerable increase in censorship of LGBTQ+ content in media, arts, and culture, citing the ban of publications, stricter performance guidelines, and gendered dress codes. - Mkini
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