Malaysia’s Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister claims there isn’t ‘such a thing’ of homosexual people in the country.

Datuk Mohamaddin Ketapi was in Germany for the ITB Berlin travel fair and was asked whether Malaysia is a safe destination for LGBTQ people.

It was then that the Minister caused ripples in the conference after claiming the country does not have any homosexual people.

According to the Berliner Morgenpost, Ketapi said: “Homosexuality? I don’t think we have such a thing in our country. I cannot answer whether it’s safe or not.”

Malaysia retains its British colonial era criminal ban on sodomy (as well as oral sex), broadly defined to include both heterosexual and homosexual acts, with possible punishment including fines, prison sentences of up to twenty years, and even corporal punishment.