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LGBT Rights in Malaysia

    Homosexuality
    ✖ Illegal (imprisonment as punishment)
    Gay Marriage
    ✖ Not legal
    Censorship
    ✖ State-enforced
    Changing Gender
    ✖ Illegal
    Non-binary gender recognition
    ✖ Not legally recognized
    Discrimination
    ✖ No protections
    Employment Discrimination
    ✖ No protections
    Housing Discrimination
    ✖ No protections
    Adoption
    ✖ Single only
    Military
    ✖ Illegal
    Donating Blood
    ✖ Banned (indefinite deferral)
    Conversion Therapy
    ✖ Not banned
    Age of Consent
    N/A

Recent studies in Malaysia indicate societal resistance to LGBTQ+ rights.

Malaysia Surveys

Support for Same-Sex Marriage

of Malaysians agree that same-sex marriage should be legal

History

Homosexual activity in Malaysia

?

Homosexual activity in Malaysia is illegal (imprisonment as punishment).

Current status
Since 1826
Illegal (imprisonment as punishment)
Unsure of date. Date shown reflects the British colonial territory of the Straits Settlements. Malaysia's anti-sodomy laws are relics of the colonial era and rarely enforced.

Under the federal law male homosexuality is illegal in Malaysia, punishable by 2-20 years in prison, however the status of female homosexuality is unclear under the Malaysian federal law.

Muslim citizens of Malaysia can be sentenced to fines, caning and imprisonment for conducting same-sex sexual relations under some states which imposes sharia law. The maximum sentence that sharia courts can impose for these acts is up to three years prison, fines of up to RM 5,000 (1,204 USD) and caning of up to six strokes or all three.
Added by bradcoffey106  ·  1 accurate vote  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Same-sex marriage in Malaysia

?

Same-sex marriage in Malaysia is not legal.

Current status
Since 1826
Not legal
Homosexual activity in Malaysia is illegal.
Added by bradcoffey106  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Censorship of LGBT Issues in Malaysia

?

Censorship of LGBT Issues in Malaysia is state-enforced.

Current status
State-enforced
In Malaysia there are sometimes censorship of LGBT content in cinema films by the Malaysian censorship board but it is not always enforced.
Added by equaldex  ·  1 accurate vote  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Right to change legal gender in Malaysia

?

Right to change legal gender in Malaysia is illegal.

Current status
Since Aug 9, 1965
Illegal
A trans individual does not currently have the right to change their legal gender. A recent court ruling in favour of allowing trans women to wear female clothing was overturned by a federal court.

The date reference is the date Singapore separated from Malaysia, making it the country it is today.
Added by vviet93  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

May 25, 2005–Oct 8, 2015
Legal, but requires surgery
If medical opinion states that the individual is their
desired gender, courts should comply and legally recognise
the desired gender. (High Court in Re JG)
Added by JuliaB  ·  1 accurate vote  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Malaysia

?

Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Malaysia is not legally recognized.

Current status
Not legally recognized
Not legal to change gender identity,no nonbinary recognition
Added by Willow  ·  1 accurate vote  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

LGBT discrimination in Malaysia

?

LGBT discrimination in Malaysia is no protections.

Current status
Since 1826
No protections
As homosexuality is illegal in Malaysia, there are no protections for LGBTQ+ community
Sources:
The constitution of Malaysia (1826)
Added by vviet93  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Jan 1, 1826–Sep 5, 2018
Illegal in some contexts
Under sex discrimination and gender discrimination in employment only.
Added by Ausyk  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

LGBT employment discrimination in Malaysia

?

LGBT employment discrimination in Malaysia is no protections.

Current status
No protections
No protections against discrimination for LGBT+ in a work place
Added by Willow  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

LGBT housing discrimination in Malaysia

?

LGBT housing discrimination in Malaysia is no protections.

Current status
Since Jan 1, 1826
No protections
Proposed full housing discrimination protections by Malaysian Human rights watch.
Added by Ausyk  ·  1 accurate vote  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Same-sex adoption in Malaysia

?

Same-sex adoption in Malaysia is single only.

Current status
Since 1826
Single only
Date reflects beginning of British colonization of Malaysia. Homosexuality is illegal in Malaysia.
Added by bradcoffey106  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Serving openly in military in Malaysia

?

Serving openly in military in Malaysia is illegal.

Current status
Illegal
According to Wikipedia.
Added by Ro_Guy  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Blood donations by MSMs in Malaysia

?

Blood donations by MSMs in Malaysia is banned (indefinite deferral).

Current status
Since May 3, 2016
Banned (indefinite deferral)
Donating Blood for MSM and female partners of MSM is banned in Malaysia (indefinite deferral)
Added by Muhammadaji2022  ·  1 accurate vote  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Conversion therapy in Malaysia

?

Conversion therapy in Malaysia is not banned.

Current status
Not banned
the government is trying to fund conversion therapy for transgender People. Homosexuality is currently illegal. Minister of Islamic Affairs Condemns bullying and discrimination against LGBT People in Employment.
Added by Ausyk  ·  1 accurate vote  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Equal age of consent in Malaysia

?

Equal age of consent in Malaysia is n/a.

Current status
N/A
Homosexuality is illegal in Malaysia , therefore there's no age of consent for homosexuals.
Added by Ausyk  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log


LGBT Rights by State

View the LGBT laws in each individual state of Malaysia.