THE number of homosexuals in the country is now estimated at 310,000, from 173,000 five years ago, said an Islamic Development Department (Jakim) official.

Health Ministry statistics in 2013 showed there were some 173,000 homosexuals in the country, said Dr Mohd Izwan Mohd Yusof, Jakim’s family, social and community development deputy director.

They made up 2% of the population and 70% to 80% of them were Malays.

“I recently asked a health department official for the 2018 stats. The gay community is estimated at 310,000.

“The number is rising. These figures are for gay. The number of lesbians is harder to estimate,” he told a seminar on LGBT (lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders) in Penang today.

The LGBT lifestyle is generally frowned upon in Malaysia where having same sex relations is a crime.

Izwan said sodomy among males, which is illegal, happens in prison and boarding schools.

At all-boys boarding schools, he said, it was common for seniors to target freshies who were good-looking or “jambu”.

“Research showed that at age 13 to 15, some boys might experience temporary homosexuality. They feel physical attraction for other boys.

“There have been cases of seniors sodomising juniors. Some were forced to perform oral sex.”

For teenage girls, Izwan said the attraction was more emotional.

“The older girls will take on the younger girls as their ‘adik angkat’ (god sister).”

Izwan has been called to primary schools to talk to post-UPSR (Ujian Penilaian Sekolah Rendah) pupils to help prepare them for boarding school life when they go to Form 1.

The children are taught how they can and cannot be touched.

“I tell the kids that if their seniors call them up to see them alone and make them perform any unnatural act, they are to tell their wardens, teachers, parents or closest friends.

“Parents must also monitor their children’s behaviour when they return home from boarding school.

“If talkative kids turn quiet and ask to be transferred to a normal school, the parents must find out what happened.”

Izwan said he does not intend to frighten parents from sending their children to secondary boarding schools.

But he would like to suggest that boarding school only start from Form 4 upwards.

“Younger children are not mature yet. They don’t know if they are touched the wrong way. Perhaps the Education Ministry can consider this,” he said.

Another speaker at the seminar, Dr Janizah Abdul Ghani from the Penang Health Department also cautioned parents to watch their sons’ behaviour when they return home from boarding school.

“If your son only brings home other boys, are close to them in a suspicious way and even take them into their rooms, you need to be alert.

“Many start at age 14, 15 and 16,” she said.

Janizah also said the LGBT lifestyle was a big issue from a health perspective because the AIDS/HIV risk was higher, namely among men who engage in same sex relations. – October 29, 2018.