Malaysian government funding LGBTQ+ ‘conversion therapy’ centres, report finds
A new report has revealed government officials in Malaysia have allowed so-called ‘conversion therapy’ as a means to “rehabilitate” LGBTQ+ people.
The findings by Human Rights Watch and Justice For Sisters found that the Malaysian government funds state-sanctioned ‘conversion therapy’ retreats called “mukhayyam”.
The aim is to change or suppress participants’ sexualities. Since June 2021, 1,733 people have been subjected to programs of this nature.
Thilaga Sulathireh, the co-founder of Justice for Sisters, stated: “The programs, while framed as compassionate, internalise societal and structural discrimination and foment self-hatred among LGBTQ and gender diverse persons and hostility among the rest of the population.” Interviewees from the study said conversations about HIV were handled insensitively.
