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PETALING JAYA: Former Bar Council president Datuk S. Ambiga has refuted claims that she was among the organisers of the Seksua­liti Merdeka festival, saying she had merely been invited to launch the event.

“I am not one of the organisers.

“They should get their facts straight,” she said yesterday.

In announcing on Thursday that the festival was banned, Deputy Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Khalid Abu Bakar had said that police identified at least 10 campaign organisers, including Ambiga.

“I do not even have the time to organise such programmes,” she said.

Ambiga added that she had been invited to open and speak at the event, which had been scheduled to begin on Nov 9.

She said she had accepted the invitation and the programme was even supported by the Bar Council.

“The aim of this event is to give the marginalised LGBTIQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and questioning) community a voice and a platform to highlight the discrimination that they face in their daily lives.

“It is not an event to encourage homosexuality,” she said later in a statement.

According to the Seksualiti Merdeka Facebook page, the event was also supported by Amnesty International Malaysia, Suaram, Tenaganita, Women’s Aid Organisation and United Nations Theme Group on HIV, among others.

Ambiga added that she understood that people had strong views on the subject and were entitled to them.

“However, I believe that no member of our society should have to live in fear because of who they are,” she said.

Meanwhile, the Central Market Annexe, which was supposed to be the venue for the opening was empty and its doors were closed.

Central Market security personnel were stationed outside.

It is understood that the police had designated it as a restricted area.

Although it was not slated to start until next Wednesday, a series of private talks and forums had been held in conjunction with the festival celebrating the rights of the LGBT community.

A talk on LGBT rights in the workplace, scheduled to be held on Thursday was stopped after Khalid’s announcement.

Seksualiti Merdeka co-founder Pang Khee Teik said those attending the talk dispersed after police said it was a public place.

Its website carried a post by Pang regarding the ban, saying that it proved that the fight for rights needed to be continued.

 

This statement is to clarify the misinformation and misunderstanding surrounding Seksualiti Merdeka 2011.

 

For the record, this is an event that has taken place since 2008 drawing little attention from the public until now.  Further, for the record, I am not an organiser of this event.  I was invited to officiate it on the 9th of November 2011 which I agreed to do in my personal capacity.

 

The aim of this event is to give the marginalised LGBTIQ community a voice and a platform to highlight the discrimination that they face in their daily lives.  It is not an event to encourage homosexuality.  In fact a statement such as this immediately demonstrates a total lack of understanding of the issue.

 

I am mindful of the position of the major religions as to the issue of homosexuality.  But this does not mean that we cannot show understanding and sensitivity to a marginalised community who suffer oppression and mental and even physical abuse, because of who they are.  It does not mean that we have a right to treat them badly and to attack them mercilessly.  It does not mean that they have no rights. The recent reaction (even to the extent of calling them animals) underscores precisely this point.

 

I understand that people have strong views on the subject and they are entitled to have those views.  However , I believe that no member of our society should have to live in fear because of who they are.

 

I also believe that as fellow human beings who are imperfect, we should show humility and not arrogance.  I believe we are duty bound to understand the plight of those who suffer, no matter who they are. 

 

Dato’ Ambiga Sreenevasan

4th November 2011