PAS must solve the serious issues of sexual crimes and poverty in Kelantan and Terengganu instead of its continued attacks on the LGBTQ communities, former MP Charles Santiago said today.

He said Chief Justice of Malaysian Tenkgu Maimun Tuan Mat revealed the high number of child sex abuse cases in Kelantan: 59 in 2022 alone.

The former Klang lawmaker said this was on top of 224 sex crimes reported in the state, the previous year.

He added that media reports had also stated that there were 51 rape cases in the first seven months of 2021, with the police saying many of the victims were aged between 13 and 16 years old.

In addition, he said news reports in 2021 reported that 100% of Orang Asli households in Terengganu live in poverty, with Kelantan not fairing much better at 83.3%.

“Instead of creating jobs to mitigate income losses and rising food prices, PAS prefers to spew venom at the LGBTQ minority, which increases the risk of hate crimes and violence against them.

“It is time for PAS to actually look at development issues in states it governs, not least the rise in sex crimes.

“Training its guns on the LGBTQ community is a cheap tactic and won’t help create progress. Please, just stop,” he said in a statement.

PAS lawmakers regularly target LGBTQ issues in parliament, often calling for action to be taken against the community.

Yesterday, Kuantan MP Wan Razali Wan Nor was chided by Dewan Rakyat Speaker Johari Abdul for wrongly describing a recent women’s rally as an LGBTQ march.

Wan Razali wanted to know why the unity government had allowed a “LGBTQ” march when Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim had previously said that the country would not recognise the group.

“Why was there an LGBTQ parade held in our country, as if they received approval from the authorities?

“What is the government’s response towards the need to fight this deviant lifestyle?” Wan Razali said when debating the budget for the National Unity Ministry.

DAP MP Ngeh Koo Ham then accused Wan Razali of confusing the Dewan Rakyat, adding that the rally was a Women’s Day march.

Following which, speaker Johari asked Wan Razali if he was certain about the rally’s LGBTQ status, to which Wan Razali said he was unsure.

The speaker then asked Wan Razali to retract his remarks. – March 15, 2023.