(Teks BM di bawah)

Online Petition: Protect Freedom of Expression for the Vulnerable

Dear Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin,

We urge you and your government to stop your attacks on the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people in Malaysia. Such attacks betray Malaysia's long, proud record of struggling in championing human rights. Upholding equal rights for all will help build a future Malaysia where diversity and choice are respected, where Malaysians can all co-exist in dignity and humanity.

In recent years, discriminatory remarks, political rhetoric, and negative portrayals of LGBTQ persons by political and religious leaders targeting the LGBTQ community led to state-sanctioned violence, hate speech, and hate crime against LGBTQ people remains unchecked. 

Members of your government and the previous governments have threatened LGBTQ people and organisations working on LGBTQ people's human rights with arbitrary arrests and criminal investigations that infringe on our freedom of expression and other fundamental liberties.

In January this year, your government declared it will impose heavier criminal penalties towards LGBTQ people by amending Act 355 and give free licenses for members of the public to report against LGBTQ persons and activities. Your words and actions have contributed to a climate where violence, harassment, and abuse against LGBTQ people are tolerated or even encouraged. These despicable political moves under the cover of religious duties, public morality, and public health are costing LGBTQ people their lives. 

Such words and acts threaten our democracy.

We condemn your act of allowing the Federal laws and state-enacted Shariah laws that discriminate against LGBTQ people on grounds of sexual orientation, gender identity, and expressions, to remain in existence even when it is clear that those laws are inconsistent with our Federal Constitution and incompatible with the international human rights standards. 

There is little evidence that harm against LGBTQ people is even prevented by the government and authorities. The results of discrimination and blatant violation of basic rights protected and guaranteed under our Federal Constitution deprive LGBTQ people of their freedom of expression, right to life, right to privacy, and most significantly, right to equality. The LGBTQ community is at a terribly high risk especially during the COVID-19 pandemic where discriminatory actions have life or death consequences. There is no excuse for this continued discrimination. Lives are being lost! 

DEMANDS

• You MUST lead an initiative in Parliament to repeal laws that are discriminatory on grounds of sexual orientation, gender identity, and expressions, to defend and protect the human rights of all Malaysians. 
• All laws criminalising and indirectly targeting LGBTQ people should be struck off and abolished.
• Enact anti-discriminatory measures to prohibit discrimination and protect the vulnerable including the LGBTQ community. 
• Censorship laws must not be used to restrict, repress, and silenced the expression and/or identities of LGBTQ people.
• Immediately stop all political rhetoric and negative portrayals of LGBTQ people by your government. Do not isolate and socially exclude LGBTQ people from public spaces by promoting intolerance and hate.
• Defend all human rights for all people regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, and expressions.

It is the Government’s duty to PROTECT EACH AND EVERY MALAYSIANS. 

It is the Government’s duty to ensure that LGBTQ people have ACCESS TO THE SAME RIGHTS AND PROTECTIONS no matter who they are or where they go especially when it can cost them their life. 

The ability of all of us in exercising these rights, WITHOUT FEAR OR UNLAWFUL INTERFERENCE, is central to living in an open and fair democratic society; one in which people can meaningfully access justice and enjoy their human rights.

We stand and voice solidarity with, and in support of, the LGBTQ community, human rights activists, and defenders of equal rights for LGBTQ people and the vulnerable.

In Solidarity, 

Rainbow Freedom

SIGN THE PETITION

Thank you to everyone who signed this Petition! This Petition will be closed on February 28th, 2021, and delivered to the Prime Minister’s office and offices of State Legislative Assemblies on March 2nd, 2021. With your help, we are moving closer to the abolishment of discriminatory laws and public policies affecting the LGBTQ people in Malaysia & upholding freedom of expression and equality for all.

PETITION CREATED BY

This online petition is being spearheaded by Rainbow Freedom, a youth-led group under the Malaysian Centre for Constitutionalism and Human Rights (MCCHR) Youth Advocacy Academy for Freedom of Expression 2020, as part of our 2-month online campaign, #KitaSamaSaja, in collaboration with Legal Dignity and MCCHR. 

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Petisyen Dalam Talian: Lindungi Kebebasan Berekspresi Golongan Rentan

YAB Perdana Menteri Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin yang dihormati,

Kami menggesa anda dan kerajaan anda untuk menghentikan serangan terhadap golongan lesbian, gay, biseksual, transgender dan queer (LGBTQ) di Malaysia. Serangan sebegini mengkhianati rekod Malaysia yang panjang dan membanggakan dalam sejarah perjuangan hak asasi manusia. Membela dan menegakkan hak kesamarataan untuk semua akan membantu membina Malaysia di mana setiap kepelbagaian dan pilihan dihormati, di mana rakyat Malaysia dapat hidup bersama dengan bermaruah dan manusiawi. 

Beberapa tahun kebelakangan ini, kenyataan berbaur diskriminasi, retorik politik dan gambaran negatif terhadap komuniti LGBTQ oleh pemimpin politik dan agama menyebabkan keganasan yang dibenarkan oleh kerajaan, ucapan dan jenayah kebencian terhadap individu LGBTQ semakin menjadi-jadi.

Anggota kerajaan anda dan kerajaan-kerajaan terdahulu telah mengancam komuniti dan organisasi LGBTQ yang membela hak asasi manusia dengan tangkapan arbitrari dan siasatan jenayah yang melanggar hak kebebasan berekspresi dan hak-hak asasi lain.

Pada bulan Januari tahun ini, kerajaan anda bercadang untuk meminda Akta 355 bagi mengenakan hukuman jenayah yang lebih berat terhadap komuniti LGBTQ dan memberikan lesen percuma kepada orang awam untuk melaporkan individu atau aktiviti yang melibatkan golongan LGBTQ kepada penguatkuasa. Kata-kata dan tindakan anda telah menyumbang kepada suasana di mana keganasan, gangguan dan diskriminasi terhadap komuniti LGBTQ ditolak ansur dan bahkan digalakkan. Gerakan politik yang keji dengan menunggang agama, prinsip moral dan kesihatan awam telah mengorbankan nyawa ramai individu-individu LGBTQ.

Kata-kata dan tindakan sedemikian mengancam demokrasi kita.

Kami mengecam tindakan anda membenarkan undang-undang Persekutuan dan undang-undang Syariah negeri yang mendiskriminasi komuniti LGBTQ atas dasar orientasi seksual, identiti gender dan ekspresi, untuk kekal wujud walaupun jelas bahawa undang-undang tersebut tidak konsisten dengan Perlembagaan Persekutuan dan melanggar piawaian hak asasi manusia antarabangsa.

Bukti menunjukkan bahawa pencegahan diskriminasi terhadap komuniti LGBTQ oleh pemerintah dan pihak berkuasa sangat tidak memadai. Akibat daripada diskriminasi dan pelanggaran hak-hak asasi yang dilindungi dan dijamin di bawah Perlembagaan Persekutuan, melucutkan kebebasan berekspresi, hak kebebasan diri, hak privasi dan yang paling penting, hak kesamarataan setiap individu LGBTQ. 

Komuniti LGBTQ berisiko sangat tinggi terutamanya semasa pandemik COVID-19 di mana apa-apa tindakan diskriminasi boleh melibatkan persoalan hidup atau mati. Tidak ada alasan untuk membenarkan diskriminasi sebegini. Nyawa semakin diragut!

TUNTUTAN

• Anda HARUS memimpin inisiatif di Parlimen untuk mansuhkan undang-undang dan polisi awam yang mendiskriminasi atas dasar orientasi seksual, identiti gender dan ekspresi, demi mempertahankan dan melindungi hak-hak asasi manusia bagi semua rakyat Malaysia tanpa mengira orientasi seksual, identiti gender dan ekspresi.
• Semua undang-undang yang mendiskriminasi dan secara tidak langsung mensasarkan komuniti LGBTQ secara arbitrari harus dimansuhkan.
• Memperbuat langkah-langkah anti-diskriminasi untuk melarang segala bentuk diskriminasi dalam melindungi komuniti LGBTQ dan golongan rentan.
• Undang-undang penapisan tidak boleh digunakan untuk menyekat, menekan, dan membungkam ekspresi dan/atau identiti individu dan komuniti LGBTQ.
• Hentikan segera semua retorik politik dan gambaran negatif komuniti LGBTQ oleh kerajaan anda. Jangan mengasingkan dan mengecualikan komuniti LGBTQ dari ruangan awam dengan menggalakkan sikap tidak bertoleransi dan kebencian.

Tanggungjawab Kerajaan adalah untuk MELINDUNGI SETIAP RAKYAT MALAYSIA.

Tanggungjawab Kerajaan adalah untuk memastikan bahawa individu dan komuniti LGBTQ mempunyai AKSES TERHADAP HAK-HAK ASASI MANUSIA DAN PERLINDUNGAN YANG SAMA tidak kira siapa mereka atau ke mana sahaja mereka pergi terutamanya apabila ia boleh mengorbankan nyawa mereka.

Keupayaan kita semua dalam mengakses dan menguatkuasakan hak-hak asasi ini, TANPA RASA TAKUT ATAU GANGGUAN CAMPUR TANGAN YANG TIDAK DIKEHENDAKI, sangat penting untuk hidup dalam masyarakat demokratik yang terbuka dan adil; di mana semua orang dapat mengakses keadilan dan menikmati hak asasi mereka secara bermakna.

Kami berdiri di sini dalam menyuarakan solidariti dan menyokong komuniti LGBTQ, aktivis dan pembela-pembela hak asasi manusia bagi komuniti LGBTQ dan golongan rentan.

Dalam Solidariti, 

Rainbow Freedom

TANDATANGAN PETISYEN 

Terima kasih kepada semua yang menandatangani Petisyen ini! Petisyen ini akan ditutup pada 28 Februari 2021 dan akan dihantar ke pejabat Perdana Menteri dan pejabat-pejabat Dewan Undangan Negeri pada 2 Mac 2021. Dengan pertolongan anda, kami semakin hampir dalam memansuhkan undang-undang dan polisi awam yang mendiskriminasi terhadap komuniti LGBTQ di Malaysia & membela kebebasan berekspresi dan hak kesamarataan untuk semua.

PETISYEN DIPELOPORI OLEH

Petisyen dalam talian ini dipelopori oleh Rainbow Freedom, sebuah kumpulan belia di bawah Akademi Advokasi Belia untuk Kebebasan Berekspresi 2020 yang disokong oleh Malaysian Centre for Constitutionalism and Human Rights (MCCHR), sebagai sebahagian daripada kempen dalam talian 2 bulan kami, #KitaSamaSaja, dengan kerjasama Legal Dignity dan MCCHR.