Malaysia's Anwar calls out caning of lesbian couple at home during visit to the Philippines

Record ID: 1354921

  • Title: Malaysia's Anwar calls out caning of lesbian couple at home during visit to the Philippines
  • Date: 4th September 2018
  • Summary: MANILA, PHILIPPINES (SEPTEMBER 4, 2018) (REUTERS) ****WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** FORMER MALAYSIAN DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER ANWAR IBRAHIM TAKING A SEAT AT TABLE JOURNALIST ASKING ANWAR ABOUT CANING OF LESBIAN COUPLE IN TERREGANU STATE IN MALAYSIA/NEW CONFERENCE ONGOING (SOUNDBITE) (English) FORMER MALAYSIAN DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER, ANWAR IBRAHIM, SAYING: "I'm a practicing Muslim, I don't share that interpretation and certainly that sort of action to publicly, to cane without proper due process and understanding and show compassion is something most Malaysians do not accept." NEWS CONFERENCE ONGOING (SOUNDBITE) (English) FORMER MALAYSIAN DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER, ANWAR IBRAHIM, SAYING: "In this society and age, guided by Islamic rule or principles, you know there are excesses. There's sometimes we call debt bondage. A rich guy marrying this poor girl. I mean these things cannot be allowed and then therefore the minimum age for marriage is something acceptable." MONITOR SHOWING ANWAR'S PHOTOGRAPH AND READING: "DATO' SERI ANWAR BIN IBRAHIM (MALAYSIA). FORMER DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER AND FINANCE MINISTER OF MALAYSIA"/ ANWAR WALKING UP TO PODIUM BUSINESSMEN LISTENING TO ANWAR WITH PROJECTOR SHOWING LOGO OF EVENT (SOUNDBITE) (English) FORMER MALAYSIAN DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER, ANWAR IBRAHIM, SAYING: "Do I forgive Najib? For what he has done to me personally, I say yes. I don't intend to pursue that particular issue at a personal level. But what he stole from the country, he has to return. There's no compromise. I do not have the mandate on behalf of the people to say it's okay to steal from us and from the nation. I can only say that what you have done to me personally, use the courts to humiliate and send me to prison, I've forgiven you." SPOTLIGHT CASTING ANWAR'S SHADOW/ANWAR SPEAKING FROM BEHIND PODIUM ANWAR SPEAKING ON STAGE (SOUNDBITE) (English) FORMER MALAYSIAN DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER, ANWAR IBRAHIM, SAYING: "I've suffered 20 years, I'm not going to make a deal which is just politically expedient. We made this deal because Mahathir is committed to democratic reforms. He wants to ensure that the country, the theme is 'save Malaysia,' from corruption. The judiciary must be independent. Media must be free and enforcement agencies must not tolerate corruption." ANWAR WALKING ON STAGE ANWAR SITTING DOWN WITH BUSINESSMEN MONITOR SHOWING ANWAR SPEAKING/ ANWAR SPEAKING ANWAR SPEAKING ANWAR STANDING UP AND SHAKING HANDS WITH BUSINESSMEN
  • Embargoed: 18th September 2018 10:20
  • Keywords: anwar ibrahim caning same sex malaysia visit philippines
  • Location: MANILA, PHILIPPINES
  • City: MANILA, PHILIPPINES
  • Country: Philippines
  • Topics: Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA0018W7O7R9
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Former Malaysian deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim criticised the caning of two women convicted of attempting "lesbian sex" in Malaysia during his visit to the Philippines on Tuesday (September 4).
    The women, aged 32 and 22, had pleaded guilty last month to attempting sex, forbidden under Islamic law. They were sentenced to a fine and six lashings of the cane on September 3.
    Anwar called out what he called "excesses" in the implementation of Sharia law in several Malaysian states and said he does not agree with its interpretation.
    The former deputy prime minister was the keynote speaker of a CEO forum in Manila, his first overseas trip since receiving a royal pardon in a power-sharing deal with incumbent prime minister Mahathir Mohamad.
    Anwar was jailed twice since 2004 on charges of sodomy, which he says were politically motivated.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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