Ada Apa Dengan Cinta? (What's Wrong With Love?)

Press Statement for KATAGender's Action 01/06/2006

We are here because…

• we want to show our support to Siow Ai Wei and Ooi Kean Thong;

• we applaud their courageous stance and resolve in retaining their right to self-determination, especially on something as private as the demonstration of affection;

• we believe that holding hands, or even kissing, does not constitute “indecent behaviour”;

• we deem that excessive and intrusive control of individual behaviour by the State, particularly under the guise of ‘morality’, is unacceptable;

• we think that we, as civic-conscious individuals, have the capacity to judge for ourselves, whether or not our behaviour will offend others around us;

• we reject laws that validate and enable voyeuristic behaviour by officials in power, or the potential for private individuals to ‘spy’ and ‘tell’ on each other – such laws encourage an environment of mutual suspicion and mistrust, and is gravely damaging to social relations;

• we do not accept the broad, careless and simplistic strokes made by some Members of the Parliament and the judiciary on what constitutes ‘Asian’ or ‘Western’ cultural values – norms, culture and values are ‘living’ concepts that are constantly being developed, redefined and reinterpreted;

• we hold that openness, tolerance and acceptance of diversity and difference is fundamental to a peaceful and strong nation – particularly for Malaysia where there are multiple and fluid ethnicities, as well as cultural values, norms and practices;

• we call for a focus of government resources, energy and attention on more substantive issues that are faced by people in this country, such as poverty, sexism, identity- based discrimination and violence, displacement, quality education, environmental sustainability, good governance and corruption.

1 June 2006