Suaram Penang, who co-organised the event, said that organisers had decided to cancel Pink Dot Penang 2014 after considering views expressed by various other organisations.
“Due to concerns over the personal security and safety of the organisers and participants, we have postponed the event indefinitely,” Suaram Penang said in a press statement this weekend.
Suaram explained that Pink Dot Penang 2014 was an open social occasion allowing minority communities to meet and interact. It was to include an afternoon workshop and an evening party for LGBT at a leading hotel.
The event had been publicised on social media networks, including Facebook, which drew protests from Muslim groups such as Malaysian Islamic Youth Movement (Abim), Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma) and Malay rights group Penang Perkasa.
Penang Perkasa lodged four separate complaints to the police over the weekend. In a statement they labelled the Pink Dot event as “pesta seks sonsang Pulau Pinang” (Penang deviant sex festival). They also said: “We not condone LGBT lifestyle so we will not allow such events to be organised in Penang or even in any part of Malaysia,”
In response, Suaram released this statement: “It is not a sex party as some groups have slandered it to be, but the minority community needs such an occasion for meaningful discussion and self-help. Everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, to develop and discuss new human rights ideas and principles and to advocate their acceptance.”
Suaram Penang, who co-organised the event, said that organisers had decided to cancel Pink Dot Penang 2014 after considering views expressed by various other organisations.“Due to concerns over the personal security and safety of the organisers and participants, we have postponed the event indefinitely,” Suaram Penang said in a press statement this weekend.
Suaram explained that Pink Dot Penang 2014 was an open social occasion allowing minority communities to meet and interact. It was to include an afternoon workshop and an evening party for LGBT at a leading hotel.
The event had been publicised on social media networks, including Facebook, which drew protests from Muslim groups such as Malaysian Islamic Youth Movement (Abim), Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma) and Malay rights group Penang Perkasa.
Penang Perkasa lodged four separate complaints to the police over the weekend. In a statement they labelled the Pink Dot event as “pesta seks sonsang Pulau Pinang” (Penang deviant sex festival). They also said: “We not condone LGBT lifestyle so we will not allow such events to be organised in Penang or even in any part of Malaysia,”
In response, Suaram released this statement: “It is not a sex party as some groups have slandered it to be, but the minority community needs such an occasion for meaningful discussion and self-help. Everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, to develop and discuss new human rights ideas and principles and to advocate their acceptance.”
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Reader's Comments
Muslims need to be introduced to a education program to broaden their thinking and soften their intolerance to fellow humans. This attitude that my ideas are the only one that is right went out the door when we started the new millennium.
This is an outrage that the Pink Dot has been stopped. Malaysia should be boycotted until the government speaks up for their gay and lesbian citizens! This is the 21st century folks!
remmember all religions are man invented they are really just cults!
It is strange they applied to Pink Dot but tragically not to MH370 !!! -
try to held that kind of event in Indonesia or Malaysia, i suggest name the year there to Pink Dot: Mission Impossible.
The Netherlands legalised gay sex in 1905 and we are nowhere reaching what was done by other countries more than a century ago.....
"Come and help us to set up Stonewall.....we cant do it on our own as the country is too backward in its social development :( "
Stonewall happened because a dozen or so drag queens just had it
beeing victimised by the police every night. That night they threw everything contained in the bar, Stonewall, from chairs, tables, bottles, glasses, etc...The police left. The police came back a few days after but it was too late as the whole neighbourhood, the West Village, around Christopher Street, backed the drag queens and created a human barrage. The Gay Movement was born.
You have to do it on your own, only Malaysians; bringing other nationalities will only bring about a sure failure as the govt will blame 'outside forces' wanting to bring down the govt resulting in new 'national security laws' be put in place. I don't think you would wish for this situation.
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