MOOREYAMEEN Mohamad, whose photography exhibition at the famed George Town Festival in Penang has gained controversy due to the removal of two LGBT activists’ portraits, is happy that his work has triggered discussions about the minority groups’ rights.

He even thinks well of the minister who had ordered the removal of the portraits, Mujahid Yusof Rawa.

“For the first time, we have a minister in charge of Islamic affairs coming out to support transgender people. That is amazing.

“That is more important… he acknowledges them and wants to help them,” he told reporters at the exhibition at Dewan Sri Pinang this evening.

The exhibition titled Stripes and Strokes, which runs from August 4 to September 2, is Mooreyameen’s first major project. It features portraits of well known Malaysian personalities.

Among them were Nisha Ayub and Pang Khee Teik, who are activists for sexual minority groups.

Following complaints from the public and instruction from Mujahid’s office, the state secretary Farizan Darus contacted GTF director Joe Sidek to remove the two portraits earlier this week. The two pictures came down on Tuesday and soon sparked an outcry.

The issue became widely discussed, especially on social media, between pro- and anti-LGBT (lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender) groups.

Several other personalities, whose pictures were also featured in Mooreyameen’s exhibition, requested their portraits to be removed as a sign of protest against the treatment towards Nisha and Pang.

Mujahid, who had been the target of criticism for the past week, earlier reprimanded the organiser of the exhibition for failing to protect the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.

The minister said Nisha, a transgender activist, did not know her picture taken last year would be featured in the show, and about the LGBT label.

He raised concerns that the labelling could bring backlash and compromise safety.

Mooreyameen disagreed with Mujahid’s view but said he “would let it pass” because the minister has spoken out for the transgendered community.

“I don’t care if they blame me. I am fine. I have no problems. I have a good life in Kuala Lumpur,” the trained mechanical engineer from Kuching, who also studied photography at the New York Institute of Photography, said.

As a result of the fiasco, he said Nisha had reached out to Mujahid, and they had a meeting in Putrajaya yesterday, where she was able to raise issues affecting the transgender community, especially the discrimination they have been facing in life.

“She spoke about discrimination, difficulties in getting jobs and using public toilets… things so basic that most people won’t have problems with.

“I am happy that she got the message through. I think both sides tried to understand each other, and their sincerity came through,” Mooreyameen said.

After meeting Nisha yesterday, Mujahid urged the public to stop the discrimination against the transgender community.

He said transgender people only wanted to live like normal Malaysians, and it was important to help them, like dealing with workplace discrimination.

Mooreyameen said for himself as an artist, the silver lining was being part of GTF.

“But this is also the best thing that has happened to me. People are talking about my art.”

His exhibition carries a Merdeka theme, in conjunction with the Independence Day celebration this month. All the people he photographed had posed with the Jalur Gemilang.

Mooreyameen’s show was to feature 28 portraits but 12 have since been removed. What are left are labels bearing their names like prominent social activist Marina Mahathir, lawyer Siti Kasim, and Petaling Jaya MP Maria Chin Abdullah.

On other personalities asking for their portraits to be removed out of solidarity for Nisha and Pang, Mooreyameen said he respected their decisions.

“Some have asked me to cancel the show too, to show protest. But I refused because it had not been easy to put the exhibition together,” he said.

“I am for the arts, so I am staying. While I respect their decisions and have taken down their pictures, I hope they respect my decision to stay in the festival too.”

Mooreyameen said there might be more requests for portraits to be removed after this but he would still stay in the festival.

“I am staying, even if the whole exhibition becomes empty, but I hope some will change their minds and let me put their pictures back up.

“We want to support the conversation, even with those who don’t share our views on human rights. The idea behind this is about being free and independent.” – August 11, 2018.