Malaysia’s government is moving to stop using the term “LGBT” in official communications, replacing it with the Malay phrase “budaya songsang,” which translates to “deviant culture.” The decision was confirmed by a government official this week. Earlier this year, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department for Religious Affairs Marhamah Rosli said the change is intended to reduce LGBTQ-related content appearing online.
Speaking during a Parliament session, she said: “The more we utter, write, or state [‘LGBT’], the more ‘pop-out’ content related to it will appear. Without realizing it, we are promoting the culture unknowingly.” Malaysia criminalizes same-sex sexual activity under federal law, with penalties that can include imprisonment, caning, fines, and deportation. The country also has no nationwide anti-discrimination protections or legal gender recognition for transgender people.
LGBTQ advocacy group Justice for Sisters, which reported 307 arrests of LGBTQ people under federal and state laws in 2025, condemned the terminology change saying, “The term ‘budaya songsang’ dehumanises LGBT people, fuels misinformation, and reinforces the dangerous belief that LGBT people should be ‘corrected.”
