Malaysia’s Deputy Prime Minister has vowed to block a planned gay festival in the country’s capital – and ban its organisers from the country.
The Malaysian press had gone into overdrive over the plans for a White Party Kuala Lumpur, a spin-off of the region’s largest annual gay music festival which takes place in Bangkok, Thailand.
The event was reportedly set to go ahead in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur at a gay club night in the city which asked not to be named due to persecution by Islamic groups.
However, following pressure, the country’s Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi vowed to block the event.
Speaking to the New Straits Times and Sun Daily newspapers, Mr Zahid said that the event would be blocked as gay people are “not natural”.
He said: “We are monitoring the names of the relevant individuals and will place them on the ‘not to let’ category [banning them from Malaysia].
“As the Home Minister, I have instructed the police and Immigration Department to ensure that the White Party is not held in our country, anywhere at all – indoors or outdoors.
“This is my commitment that I wish to state to all Malaysians.”
He assured the newspapers: “No visa will be granted, as the [not to let] order has been issued. Police and Immigration are monitoring the movements of all those involved.
“We will never approve such a gay gathering as this is not the behaviour of normal human beings.
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