Dwelling Minister says authorities will await courtroom’s full judgement earlier than deciding on subsequent transfer.
A Malaysian courtroom has ordered the federal government to return dozens of Swatch watches seized by authorities over their designs celebrating LGBTQ delight.
The Kuala Lumpur Excessive Courtroom on Monday dominated that the Ministry of Dwelling Affairs ought to return the 172 rainbow-themed watches after discovering that they’d been seized illegally with no search warrant.
Authorities confiscated the watches, value about $14,000, throughout raids at 11 buying malls in Could final yr, later citing the timepieces’ “LGBT components”.
The courtroom ruling comes after Switzerland-based Swatch filed a lawsuit arguing that the watches didn’t promote sexual exercise however “peace and love”.
Malaysian Dwelling Minister Saifuddin Nasution instructed a information convention that the federal government revered the courtroom’s resolution and would look forward to the complete judgement earlier than making a call on its subsequent transfer.
Swatch Group Chief Govt Officer Nick Hayek condemned the raids on the time, asking sarcastically whether or not the Malaysian authorities would additionally confiscate “the various stunning pure rainbows” that seem within the sky.
Malaysia criminalises same-sex sexual exercise below each its civil code and Islamic legislation, which regulates the lives of the Southeast Asian nation’s Malay-Muslim majority.
In July 2023, the federal government cancelled the Good Vibes music competition in Kuala Lumpur after Matty Healy, the lead singer of UK rock band The 1975, kissed one in all his male bandmates onstage.
In October 2022, spiritual police raided an LGBTQ-friendly Halloween social gathering within the capital’s Chinatown, arresting 20 Muslim males for cross-dressing.
