Malaysia | Government bans books with LGBTIQ themes to safeguard “Malaysia’s multicultural values”
On 8 February 2025, the Home Ministry of Malaysia released a statement confirming a ban on three books, including two with LBGTIQ themes. Just a month prior, on 7 January 2025, the Ministry had announced a ban on six books, including three with LGBTIQ themes. Both the bans, which came into effect in January 2025 and December 2024 respectively, were described as a preventative measure to stop the spread of “ideologies and movements that conflict with Malaysia’s multicultural values”. This move comes amidst a disturbing escalation in the suppression of LGBTIQ representation, further ostracizing the community and stifling their free expression both within Malaysia, and across the region.
The bans came into effect under the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 (Act 301), specifically subsection 7(1), which grants the government power to prohibit the “printing, importation, production, reproduction, publishing, sale, issue, circulation, distribution or possession” of publication or media deemed ““prejudicial to public order, morality, security, or likely to alarm public opinion” or “contrary to any law or prejudicial to public or national interest.” Under section 8, possession of such banned material is fined up to five thousand Malaysian ringgit, whereas publication, distribution, and sale is punishable by up to three years of imprisonment and a fine of up to twenty thousand ringgit. The Home Ministry of Malaysia and the High Court have interpreted LGBTIQ-themed content content as a significant threat to societal order, justifying its inclusion under these provisions.
The nine newly banned books join a growing list of over 3,000 books currently prohibited in Malaysia. Among them are Lose You To Find Me and All That’s Left in the World by Erik J. Brown, When Everything Feels Like the Movies by Raziel Reid, What If It’s Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera, and My Shadow is Purple by Scott Stuart—all of which prominently feature LGBTIQ narratives and coming-of-age themes. These bans exist within a broader context of institutionalised discrimination against diverse gender and sexual identities. In Malaysia, consensual same-sex relationships remain criminalised, and the Constitution does not explicitly protect against discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or sex characteristics.
The government has recently adopted an aggressively more conservative stance on queer representation. In May 2023, authorities raided 11 stores and confiscated rainbow-themed Swatch watches, subsequently banning their import and sale under Act 301. Although the Kuala Lumpur High Court ruled in November 2024 that the raids were unlawful, the ban on “LGBTQ+ themed watches” remains in effect. The Home Ministry has also signaled plans to tighten film regulations, including content from online platforms like Netflix, to censor or eliminate LGBTIQ representation altogether.
The alarming trend of censoring queer stories is not isolated in Malaysia. Similar crackdowns have been observed in China, Myanmar, and Jordan, where authorities have banned books and arrested authors writing queer or erotic fiction.
“Queer stories are not threats to society but mirrors that reflect its diversity and resilience”
“ILGA Asia is deeply concerned by the Malaysian authorities’ decision to categorise content featuring diverse gender identities and sexual orientations as a threat to society, public morality, and national identity. The right to dignified and free expression is a fundamental human right for all individuals—including in print. As storytellers and advocates, we know the power of representation: seeing your identity reflected in stories is a quiet yet radical affirmation of existence. The silencing of these stories is not merely a matter of censorship—it is an erasure of lives. Banning queer-themed books in Malaysia undercuts fundamental human rights and perpetuates systemic discrimination against the LGBTIQ community. Governments must uplift rather than silence diverse voices. We call on the Malaysian authorities to end this harmful trajectory of censorship and to embrace inclusive narratives that reflect the full spectrum of human dignity,” said Henry Koh, Executive Director of ILGA Asia.