KUALA LUMPUR – Any issue arising from the proposal to amend the Shariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965 (Revised 1988), or Act 355, to provide for heavier punishments against lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders should be addressed prudently, said Datuk Seri Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri.
The minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of religious affairs said in order for the LGBT community to change, a “soft” approach should be taken, with the aim of educating them.
“I have to look at various aspects, including the provisions of laws,” he told a press conference after the presentation of Ramadan aid and appointment letters to zakat collectors for 2021 here today.
He was responding to reports that members of the G25 group of former civil servants have voiced their objection to his deputy Ahmad Marzuk Shaary’s proposal to amend Act 355 to impose heavier punishments on LGBT folk. – Bernama, April 6, 2021
