To Khairy's Dismay, Muslim NGO Claims AmBank Is Promoting LGBT Culture Among Muslims

AmBank has denied promoting LGBTI rights in Malaysia after a Muslim group called for a boycott of the bank over its ties with a gay-friendly US Bank. The bank today refuted allegations that it had deceived Muslims by signing a stock purchases agreement with MetLife in December last year.

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AmBank Group has denied promoting or encouraging Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) practices as it adheres to strict banking, insurance and takaful guidelines. The group said it respects the country’s Syariah laws, as well as the sensitivities of the various communities with different religious beliefs and practices.

The group said it respects the country’s Syariah laws, as well as the sensitivities of the various communities with different religious beliefs and practices. “This is in line with our value proposition of being Malaysia’s bank that understands the needs of the Malaysian community. AmBank Group is not involved in promoting or encouraging LGBT practices as reported in the media."

“We respect the sensitivities of the various communities, with different religious beliefs and practices. This is in line with our value proposition of being Malaysia’s bank, which understands the needs of the community.”

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“AmBank Group, particularly, AmMetLife Insurance Berhad and AmMetLife Takaful Berhad operate and are governed independently under the laws of Malaysia, and do not endorse any practice that breaches laws, including syariah laws.”

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A Malay group today accused AmBank Holdings Bhd (AMMB) of conspiring with a US-based insurance firm to promote lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights and culture among Muslims here.

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Muslims are urged to review any dealings with Ambank Malaysia Holdings Bhd, following the bank’s cooperation with American insurance company Metlife International Holdings.

Last May, AmBank and MetLife launched two insurance brand names AmMetLife and AmMetLife Takaful. MetLife owns 51 percent of AmLife Insurance Bhd while AmBank owns 51 percent of AmTakaful Bhd.

Jaringan Melayu Malaysia (JMM) president Azwanddin Hamzah claimed he received “secret intelligence” reports and “extensive research” on the matter shortly after AMMB chairman Tan Sri Azman Hashim had announced a partnership with Metlife International Holdings Incorporated (Metlife) in December last year, which he said involved AmBank insurance subsidiaries AmLife and AmFamily Takaful Berhad.

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Jaringan Melayu Malaysia (JMM) said this is as Metlife was awarded the best place to work for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community, by the US Human Rights Campaign 2013.

“MetLife is an insurance company which has brazenly promoted and supported the LGBT lifestyle and which is stated in AmLife’s news bulletin published in April 2014. “On the last page of the news bulletin, it is stated that MetLife has received the award for ‘best places to work for LGBT 2013’ through a 2013 human rights campaign,” he told reporters at a news conference here. Azwanddin produced photocopies of the said news bulletin, claiming this showed “an evil agenda” to provoke and covertly introduce cultures and teachings which went against Islam.

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"This makes it a ruse to blindside Muslims in Malaysia…(and) a greater ill-intentioned agenda…," he said.

By allowing this to carry on, Ambank would be promoting perverse teachings and “free sex”,” the JMM chief alleged further. “Before this becomes a cancer, we have to put a stop to it. Our culture, our laws and sensitivities have to be respected,” Azwanddin said.

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Aside from the award won by MetLife, however, JMM did not produce any further evidence to show how AmBank or its subsidiaries were promoting the LGBT agenda here or to Muslims in particular.

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“This is crazy... they are tricking the Muslims by promoting this lifestyle. This goes against the Takaful concept which is based on Islam. “We are calling for a nationwide boycott, and we are urging Bank Negara to consider revoking (Ambank’s) Islamic Takaful licence,” he added.

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He added JMM would be distributing one million flyers on the matter to raise public awareness and to kickstart the boycott. “It may not be important to some people, but it is important to us as Muslims,” he said.

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Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said the move by JMM did not make sense and merely portrayed the stupidity of the NGO. “If that’s the case, using iPhone can be seen as promoting LGBT because of Tim Cook,” the minister tweeted, referring to Apple chief executive officer Cook, who recently admitted to being gay. “Clearly stupidity has no boundaries,” Khairy added.

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Cook is the chief executive officer of technology giant Apple, which produces the popular mobile phone the iPhone. Cook recently announced that he is gay.

An appellate court’s ruling that the Federal Constitution overrides Shariah laws in a landmark case involving Muslim transgenders will open the doors for homosexuals to marry, former Chief Justice Tun Abdul Hamid Mohamad has claimed.

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Abdul Hamid alleged that the decision that held the Federal Constitution to be the supreme law of the land would lead Islamic laws to be increasingly questioned and possibly invalidated, including those that permit Muslim polygamy, outlaw adultery and sodomy, and others. “In fact, the judgment paves the way for same-sex marriage. It appears what I am worried about is beginning to happen,” he was quoted as saying in report be national news agency Bernama today.

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The outspoken former chief justice added that the landmark decision was flawed as it failed to consider the constitutional provisions that recognise offences against Islamic teachings.

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