Tue. Nov 5th, 2024
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Owners or sellers of rainbow-coloured timepieces made by Swiss watchmaker Swatch face three years in prison in Malaysia, the interior ministry has announced, as the Muslim-majority country rails against LGBTQ symbols it says could “harm morals”.

Homosexuality is outlawed in Malaysia and LGBTQ people face repeated discrimination.

Malaysia’s law enforcement unit at the interior ministry raided Swatch stores at 11 shopping malls across the country in May, including in the capital Kuala Lumpur, for timepieces bearing what it called “LGBT elements”.

Anyone who “prints, imports, produces… or has in his possession” such items now faces a jail term of up to three years, the ministry said in a statement.

Any individual wearing or distributing the watches could also be fined 20,000 Malaysian ringgit ($6,650), according to the ban notice.

“The Malaysian government is committed to preventing the spread of elements that are harmful or may be harmful to morals,” the ministry said in a statement.

It said the watches “may harm… the interests of the nation by promoting, supporting and normalising the LGBTQ+ movement that is not accepted by the general public”.

A ministry official told AFP in May that 172 watches worth $14,000 were seized in raids because they bore the “LGBTQ” acronym and had six colours instead of the seven in a rainbow.

The six-colour rainbow Pride flag is one of the most well-known LGBTQ symbols globally.

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