USM Held A Contest On How To "Correct" LGBT Students
The contest was part of a "Back to Fitrah" forum that had been formally approved by the university.
By Katrina Khairul Azman — 04 Apr 2018, 03:26 PM
Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) has come under international spotlight after an NBC report alleged that a contest was held for students to submit ideas on how to convert their lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) peers
NBC News reported that the event, which involved creating posters, was part of a forum called "Back to Fitrah" that took place on 24 March.
The forum was organised by the Muslim Students' Association and had been formally approved by the Penang university.
According to the parties involved, the forum was meant to "educate" and help LGBT students who have "disorders in sexual orientation return to their natural instincts"
Contest organiser Abdul Hadi Radzi denied that the contest was meant to persecute or condemn his LGBT peers.
Abdul Hadi told NBC News that this was merely their take on how to "correct" LGBT.
"We want to help them. We love them," he said.
Fatimah Jamaludin, one of the winners of the contest, said that she only wanted to better her understanding of the LGBT community so that she can help them find peace
"One thing that you can do to make your heart feel calm is to say 'thanks to Allah, Allahu akbar, Allah is great'," she told Free Malaysia Today.
This would not be the first contest in Malaysia aimed at deterring homosexuality and transgenderism. In June 2017, the Health Ministry organised a contest that called for videos on "gender confusion" and its consequences.
The competition, which involved creating videos that exhibited the "consequences" of being LGBT, as well as how to "prevent, control and seek help" for LQBT peers, sparked controversy for appearing to encourage discrimination.
In defence of the competition, health deputy director-general Dr Lokman Hakim Sulaiman explained that, "In the context that 'prevention is better than cure', this competition aims to empower adolescents to make wise decisions and choices regarding their sexual reproductive health."
LGBT rights are considered a taboo topic in Malaysia, where homosexual activities are criminalised
Homosexual activity involving either men or women is illegal and punishable by fines, whipping, and up to 20 years in jail.