Immigration gathering info on gay event to deny participant entry

The Immigration Department is gathering information from the police and enforcement agencies to deny entry to foreign participants of a gay event scheduled to be held in Kuala Lumpur later this month.

Director-general, Datuk Seri Mustafar Ali said this was to ensure that individuals entering Malaysia for the event would be served with the Not To Land (NTL) notice under Section 8 of the Immigration Act 1559/63.

"The government has decided to ban the event and the Immigration (Department) has been instructed to restrict any individual or organiser from entering the country.

"I also do not understand those who question the Immigration about prohibiting individuals involved in the event from coming to Malaysia as it (the gay event) is against our country's culture and this is not just about Islam, but (the event) is too abnormal to us (in Malaysia)," he told reporters after a meeting with employers to discuss the issue of foreign workers here today.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi on Friday said the Malaysian Government would not allow any gay event or party which was reportedly planned to be held in Kuala Lumpur on Sept 30.

Ahmad Zahid, who is also Home Minister, said he had directed the police not to approve permit for the event, even though the organiser had yet to apply for a permit.

It was reported that the party was being held to promote the 'White Party Bangkok', the largest annual gay gathering event in Asia, scheduled for Dec 28 in Thailand.

Meanwhile, Mustafar said employers should not be afraid or worried to apply for foreign workers to work in their company because the department was always ready to approve them if they complied with existing rules.

He said currently, there were 1.72 million registered foreign workers in the country and he believed the number was sufficient to meet employer demands.

"Besides, employers are advised not to apply for foreign workers through 'middlemen' but instead, go directly through the Immigration Department to avoid being cheated and charged high fees by them (middlemen). We will also take stern action against 'middlemen'," he added."

-- BERNAMA