YOURSAY | ‘No one is asking you to endorse LGBT activities, just asking you to treat everyone fairly.’

Yes, it was LGBT factor which made us say 'No,' confirms MEF boss

Vent: I’m just gobsmacked by the utter drivel of an excuse given by Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) president Shamsudin Bardan and the treacherous votes cast by Shamsudin, MEF vice-president A Ramadass and Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) president Abdul Halim Mansor against the perennially stigmatised members of their own organisations.

Apart from being stifled by the abject hypocrisy in an officially Muslim country where the peccadillos of Malay-Muslim ministers and their subaltern staff make for lurid media coverage, I don’t know whether to cringe in shame or rage with anger at the abject behaviour of these three men.

It just doesn’t pass logical muster to cite LBGT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) issues as the reason the Malaysian delegates voted against the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) global treaty (to end workplace discrimination) in one breath, and then assure us in another, that it “should not be interpreted to mean that MEF condones any discrimination against LGBT, especially violence and sexual harassment at the workplace” from which they are “entitled to be protected and be safeguarded … just like any other employee”. What pathetic gobbledygook is this?

As for Human Resources Minister M Kulasegaran, you were a shameless accomplice by not ensuring that the basic rights of a very vulnerable community are protected.

And to think that this puritanical outsized Malaysian delegation did all its handiwork against the LGBT community away from home, ironically under the cold shadow of the Alps in a land where these unspeakable ‘crimes’ of the gay, lesbian and queer kind are committed and where even man can propose and dispose of himself in euthanasia.

Meanwhile, at home, many of these same ‘crimes’ are committed by all and sundry, including the upstanding (no pun intended) pillars of the Malay-Muslim political class.

Newday: MEF, it is obvious. How can your decision be interpreted any other way than condoning harassment against LGBTs?

This dodgy employers’ group and the trade unions (shame, shame, shame) have now condemned LGBTs to an open season against them in the workplace.

Over 92 percent of the worldwide delegates voted to end workplace discrimination, and you lot just reinforced our status as a bunch of ignorant, nasty peasants.

Over 60 Malaysian delegates sent? Staggering that this could be the result. You could have achieved this non-result with just one. What a useless and futile junket.

Vijay47: What a pathetic attempt by the MEF president to portray his spineless "Nay" vote as a support for the government's sick stand against a vulnerable sector of our society.

Further, painting the position taken as being guided by the "sensitivities of Malaysian culture and Islam as the official religion of Malaysia" only serves to exhibit to the rest of the world the kind of religious extremism we are starting to practise with increasing fervour.

Yet Shamsudin has the cheek to say that this is not to be interpreted as MEF being not protective of the LGBT community; MEF is concerned with the welfare of the LGBT, except that they are not recognised as existing in our country, a cowardly ruse in hunting with the hounds and running with the hares.

It might be useful if members of the trade unions concerned demanded to know why such large delegations went to Switzerland when they were not bothered to play any meaningful role in the deliberations.

I am sure a good time was had by all. I hope someone remembered to buy some chocolates for former premier Najib Abdul Razak.

DL: This is really such a disappointment for Pakatan Harapan government. Everyone is entitled to be protected against violence, sexual harassment, etc, regardless of their gender and sexuality. Even convicts in prison are entitled to the same rights.

We should always make our decision based on common good. Just because you disagree with LGBT doesn’t mean you have to vote against everyone’s rights to be protected at their workplace.

It’s sickening to have such people governing us and looking after our policies in this country.

Anonymous 2327531438397239: It’s sad we still cling on to this biased hypocrisy about the LGBT community.

Aren't they human just like you and I? Why judge them by their sexual orientation and not by their own merits, abilities and qualifications? Why do you need to ostracise a community just because they are born sexually different?

Religion has caused a lot of unwanted harm and damage to society with its so-called exalted position that only it can be right and others wrong. Does the Maker teach such bias and prejudice or is it just a man-made justification to suit its own ends?

The irony is a supposedly rational and educated mind can be distorted by its own irrational emotions reinforced by like-minded individuals and groups to justify itself as being the only truth. No wonder we still have mindsets of the dark ages in our society.

Myviews: MTUC and MEF, perhaps you do not understand what human feelings are. The LGBT community are also God's creations and they're humans.

So what makes you play God to decide what is good and what is bad for LGBT? And by the way, you are nothing but a bunch of hypocrites.

On the one hand, you loudly proclaim the LGBT are entitled to be protected and safeguarded against violence at the workplace. But yet you voted against the convention which is designed to include protection for LGBT.

Do you understand what you are doing? Do you understand the meaning of hypocrisy? Or are you a bunch of hand kissers of some misguided politicians?

Wira: The country is portraying an infantile image to the world that LGBT is a moral issue. It is not.

It's God's desire that He made hormonal imbalances in some people to make them behave in a certain way.

Nagu: Poor LGBT. Corruption, religious bigotry, all okay. LGBT not okay. What misplaced priorities.

Malaysian-United: No one is asking anyone to endorse LGBT activities in the country... just asking you to treat everyone fairly.

If you have loved ones who need help and protection, are you going to abandon or ignore them just because they do not live up to your religious ideals? Do you think you are better than them?

The above is a selection of comments posted by Malaysiakini subscribers. Only paying subscribers can post comments. Over the past one year, Malaysiakinians have posted over 100,000 comments. Join the Malaysiakini community and help set the news agenda. Subscribe now.

These comments are compiled to reflect the views of Malaysiakini subscribers on matters of public interest. Malaysiakini does not intend to represent these views as fact.