KUALA LUMPUR, May 14 — Justice for Sisters (JFS) and 12 other civil society organisations have urged the Kuala Terengganu City Council to immediately remove signboards bearing anti-LGBT messages, condemning them as discriminatory and a form of hate speech under international human rights law.
They also criticised a statement by the Terengganu state executive councillor defending the signboards as a campaign against homosexual behaviour, saying this incites hatred and promotes discrimination against LGBTQ individuals.
“The state’s actions are clearly aimed at advocating hatred and discrimination, and cannot be justified under any circumstances,” the groups wrote in a statement, pointing to a troubling pattern of state-sanctioned persecution of LGBTQ people in Terengganu.
In 2018, two women were caned in public for attempting musahaqah (sexual relations between women), while amendments to the Syariah Criminal Offences Enactment in 2022 introduced criminal provisions targeting transgender and gender-diverse individuals.
JFS said it continues to receive reports of arrests, harassment and surveillance of LGBTQ people in Terengganu, including raids on private events and homes under multi-agency operations targeting individuals based on appearance and identity.
They argued that such actions are unconstitutional, violating LGBTQ people’s rights to equality, dignity, and freedom from discrimination under Articles 5, 8, and 10 of the Federal Constitution, and compromising access to education guaranteed under Article 12.
A recent study by JFS involving 10 LGBTQ individuals in Terengganu found all had experienced discrimination or violence, with 70 per cent subjected to conversion practices by family members, religious authorities, or others.
The study revealed severe mental health impacts, with 60 per cent reporting increased psychological distress due to discrimination and 40 per cent saying they had experienced suicidal thoughts, including one person who attempted suicide after being outed.
Many respondents highlighted the role of state policies in enabling societal discrimination, with some choosing self-isolation or migration as coping mechanisms, and called for more public awareness and legal reforms to protect LGBTQ rights.
The groups also warned against the misuse of religion to justify discrimination, citing international experts who have condemned the invocation of religious beliefs to legitimise hostility against LGBTQ people.
They referenced the Beirut Declaration on “Faith for Rights”, which emphasises that faith traditions should uphold dignity and equality without discrimination on any grounds.
The coalition called on Suhakam and the Minister of Higher Education to initiate dialogue with the city council and Terengganu state authorities to remove the signboards and address their discriminatory implications.
