Why Malaysia wants to jail LGBT Swatch watch owners
Owners or sellers of rainbow-coloured timepieces made by Swiss watchmaker Swatch will face three years in prison in Malaysia. The move comes as the Muslim-majority country rails against LGBTQ symbols, saying it could ‘harm morals’
On 4 May, Swatch watches released their collection featuring nine different designs, with most of them being six designs from its Pride collection. Image Courtesy: Swatch
The government of Malaysia does not support LGBTQ rights and they are now ready to implement stringent measures to discourage them in the country. Authorities are strict enough that they have decided to ban all Swatch products that contain lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer elements. Watches, wrappers, and boxes are all banned. People are warned if anyone found with one promoting LGBTQ rights could be jailed or fined.
Owners or sellers of rainbow-coloured timepieces made by Swiss watchmaker Swatch face three years in prison in Malaysia, the interior ministry said Thursday, 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.
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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 ($4,375 or Rs 3.62 lakh), 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”.
Swatch LGBTQ watches
On 4 May, Swatch released their collection of watches featuring nine different designs, with most of them being six designs from its Pride collection, which had been advertised on Swatch’s website since that date.
“This year, we are celebrating Pride with a vivid collection of watches inspired by the iconic Pride flag. Each watch appears in one of the bold colours that make up the flag and features a symmetrical second’s hand symbolising equality. Two rainbow loops bring the colours together to celebrate the unity and diversity that make our society – and Swatch – so strong,” the advertisement on the website says.
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”.
A ministry official told AFP in May that 172 watches worth $14,000 (Rs 11.58 lakh) 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.
According to the summons notice, the seizure was based on the Printing Presses and Publications Act of 1984, which critics have condemned as draconian.
‘Message of peace and love’
The Swiss watchmaker has filed a lawsuit against the Malaysian government, seeking damages and the return of the watches. It has denied that the watches are detrimental, claiming that they convey a message of peace and love.
In a statement on Thursday, Malaysia’s home ministry said the products are “detrimental, or possibly detrimental, to morality, public interest and national interest by promoting, supporting and normalising the LGBTQ movement which is not accepted by the general public,” reports Sky News.
LGBTQ rights in Malasia
Malaysian LGBTQ rights have been under criticism when the government cancelled a music event in the capital, Kuala Lumpur, last month. It made the decision after the leader of British pop rock band The 1975 kissed a male bandmate onstage and denounced the country’s anti-LGBTQ legislation.
The ban comes ahead of elections in six Malaysian states on Saturday that will serve as a barometer of public sentiment for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s unity government against a powerful Opposition consisting of Malay-Muslim political parties.
He has been criticised by the Opposition who allege he is not doing enough to protect Malaysia’s Islamic values. Anwar says his government will not back LGBTQ rights.
With inputs from AFP
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