Yesterday, George Clooney said on US talk show Ellen that the hotels boycott that forced the Sultan of Brunei to back down from imposing the death penalty for homosexuality will serve as a “warning shot” to other countries considering this. — Reuters pic

BANGI, May 15 — Foreigners should not dictate to Malaysia about its laws, civil or religious, said Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in response to US actor George Clooney’s “warning shot” to the country not to introduce the death penalty for homosexuality.

The PKR president said that while Malaysia should consider all views on rights issues, it need not bow to outsiders as it was a sovereign nation.

“You must realise that Americans decide on their own evolution they don’t care about the views of others. The Germans decide on themselves, the Chinese decide for themselves, why must Malaysia be dictated to by the rest?

“There are general humanitarian issues, which concerns human rights or justice... but to suggest that America or other foreigners dictate terms, [and] we must abide, I don’t think we can govern like that,” he said.

Speaking to reporters after the National Youth Convention 2019 at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia here today, the Port Dickson MP said Malaysia must fiercely protect its independence and ability to decide matters important to Malaysians.

Anwar said foreign leaders or the global community can present their suggestions to Malaysia but should not present these as pressure.

Yesterday, Clooney said on US talk show Ellen that the hotels boycott that forced the Sultan of Brunei to back down from imposing the death penalty for homosexuality will serve as a “warning shot” to other countries considering this.

It is unclear why but the Hollywood celebrity singled out Malaysia and Indonesia as among countries purportedly considering such laws.

Malaysia does not have laws against homosexuality per se but criminalises unnatural sex in its Penal Code.