GEORGE TOWN: There was no real need to remove the picture of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) activists Nisha Ayub and Pang Kee Teik from a photography exhibition at the George Town Festival (GTF) 2018, a Penang lawmaker said today.
State Women, Family, non-Muslim Affairs and Gender Inclusivity Committee chairman Chong Eng said there was no need to discriminate against anyone simply because of their sexual orientation or a cause that they were promoting.
She pointed out that there was no harm for both Nisha and Pang to express their love for the country.
“It is not right to discriminate against anyone be they women, men or transgender.
“We should respect these differences,” she said on the sidelines of the state legislative assembly sitting here.
Chong, however, admitted that not everyone shared similar view as her.
“As such, this issue must be dealt with carefully and not emotionally,” she added.
Asked then if she would instruct that the two pictures be reinstated, Chong said she had no such authority to do so.
“However, I will raise this at the next state executive councillors meeting to see how we can tackle this issue.
“In fact, I would personally like to go see what the exhibition is all about,” she noted.
To another question if Penang would allow exhibitions on LGBT to be displayed at its premises, she said it should be the government’s decision.
“As a government, we need to listen to all views.
“We must engage a wide spectrum of people, listen to all views and take them into serious consideration.
“Just as how we should not judge a book by its cover, we too should not judge a person by their sexual orientation,” she stressed.
It was reported that the pictures of Nisha and Pang were removed upon “instruction”. Their photographs were part of the ‘Stripes and Strokes’ exhibition, which featured local personalities with the Jalur Gemilang.