JMM president Azwanddin Hamzah said he received ‘secret intelligence’ reports and ‘extensive research’ to back up the group’s claims of a conspiracy to promote LGBT rights and culture among Muslims in Malaysia. — Reuters pic

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 12 — A Malay group today accused AmBank Holdings Bhd (AMMB) of conspiring with a US-based insurance firm to promote lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights and culture among Muslims here.

Jaringan Melayu Malaysia (JMM) president Azwanddin Hamzah claimed he received “secret intelligence” reports and “extensive research” on the matter shortly after AMMB chairman Tan Sri Azman Hashim had announced a partnership with Metlife International Holdings Incorporated (Metlife) in December last year, which he said involved AmBank insurance subsidiaries AmLife and AmFamily Takaful Berhad.

“MetLife is an insurance company which has brazenly promoted and supported the LGBT lifestyle and which is stated in AmLife’s news bulletin published in April 2014.

“On the last page of the news bulletin, it is stated that MetLife has received the award for ‘best places to work for LGBT 2013’ through a 2013 human rights campaign,” he told reporters at a news conference here.

Azwanddin produced photocopies of the said news bulletin, claiming this showed “an evil agenda” to provoke and covertly introduce cultures and teachings which went against Islam.

Aside from the award won by MetLife, however, JMM did not produce any further evidence to show how AmBank or its subsidiaries were promoting the LGBT agenda here or to Muslims in particular.

This did not stop him, however, from demanding that authorities punish the bank.

“This is crazy... they are tricking the Muslims by promoting this lifestyle. This goes against the Takaful concept which is based on Islam.

“We are calling for a nationwide boycott, and we are urging Bank Negara to consider revoking (Ambank’s) Islamic Takaful licence,” he added.

By allowing this to carry on, Ambank would be promoting perverse teachings and “free sex”,” the JMM chief alleged further.

“Before this becomes a cancer, we have to put a stop to it. Our culture, our laws and sensitivities have to be respected,” Azwanddin said.

He added JMM would be distributing one million flyers on the matter to raise public awareness and to kickstart the boycott.

“It may not be important to some people, but it is important to us as Muslims,” he said.

Muslim-majority Malaysia vehemently objects to the perceived rise in LGBT activities, which it deems to be an assault against Islam together with growing calls for greater civil liberties.

The issue is muddied by the intermingling of politics and religion in a country where the latter has become a major platform from which to appeal for support.