KUALA LUMPUR – Amnesty International Malaysia has strongly criticised the decision by Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office (Religious Affairs), Marhamah Rusdi, to replace the term ‘LGBT’ with “deviant culture”.
The human rights organisation warned that such language could further fuel hate and discrimination.
Qistina Johari, Amnesty Malaysia’s Campaigner, emphasised the potential consequences of the minister’s statement, noting that words from public figures have far-reaching impacts.
“When public officials label LGBTI people as ‘deviant’, they are not upholding morality – they are legitimising hate and discrimination against a highly vulnerable group,” Johari said in a statement.
She added that the use of such derogatory terms encourages violence and discrimination towards the LGBT community in the country.
“Government leaders should never weaponise language against marginalised communities,” Johari continued, expressing concern over the recent rise in human rights violations against the LGBT community in Malaysia.
Amnesty Malaysia has called on the government to reverse this decision and cease its harmful stance towards LGBT individuals.
On 26 February 2026, Marhamah Rusdi announced that the government would discontinue the use of the term ‘LGBT’ in public discussions and on social media, replacing it with “deviant culture” effective immediately.
She explained that the repeated use of the term could lead to the wider circulation of related content via social media algorithms.
The Deputy Minister also revealed that the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) would monitor and report any content deemed to violate legal or religious norms. – February 27, 2026