Noh Omar: Do you support homosexuality?

KUALA LUMPUR: Parliamentarians today got entangled in a war of words over the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) issue after Tanjong Karang MP Noh Omar insinuated that the opposition is in support of it.

While debating the amendments to the Securities Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma), Noh also accused the opposition of being involved with the Coalition of Malaysian NGOs (Comango) in the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) on human rights.

Comago which is in Geneva for the human rights review, had urged the government to endorse Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) rights or LGBT rights, among other demands.

Noh then said that Comango is there to also propagate things like free sex.

Baya Baru MP Sim Tze Tzin interjected saying that Noh should focus on other human rights issues such as abuse on migrant workers and human trafficking.

Noh then asked Sim if he would like it if a man had sex with another man.

At this point, Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar stood up and Noh immediately asked her whether she supports sodomy or not, alluding to her father, Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim’s sodomy case.

This brought an uproar from the opposition bench and led Kota Bharu MP Takiyuddin Hassan to bring up a standing order to reprimand Noh for uttering the words.

However, deputy speaker Ronald Kiandee absolved Noh, saying that the latter was only asking a question.

Later at a press conference, Noh defended himself, saying that Comango should not bring up sensitive issues which would go against Islamic teachings.

“Human rights in the West are different than us. There is no need to bring the issues to Geneva, they don’t understand our culture.

“For example, they are all about minding their own business, but in Islam, we have the enjoining good and forbidding evil concept,” he said.

He added that eventually, issues such as LGBT will bring about conflict and confusion.

When asked whether he retracted his statement made in the Dewan, Noh remained adamant that he was only asking a question and did not accuse anyone of anything.

He also urged the Registrar of Societies (ROS) to take action if it was found that any of the 54 organisations in Comango was unregistered.

Meanwhile, Nurul Izzah told reporters that it was ‘extremely unacceptable’ of Noh to utter the words.

She also expressed disappointment on deputy speaker Ronald who had absolved Noh.