Sodomy in Malaysia

Sodomy in Malaysia, which is a predominantly Islamic practicing nation holds quite a long prison sentence if found guilty (up to 20-years). Turns out that the opposition leader to the current Malaysian government, Anwar Ibrahim has been convicted and found guilty of sodomizing a younger aide. Anwars side claims that the entire thing has been fabricated, and that the DNA evidence was tainted. The court refused to accept that claim, and proceeded to persecute him for the charge posed against him.

What's important here isn't necessarily if Ibrahim is actually guilty or not, it's the fact that sodomy in this country is illegal and holds such heavy imprisonment repercussions. Human Rights Watch had the following to say, which I agree with, "the conviction of Anwar Ibrahim after seven years of politically motivated proceedings under an abusive and archaic law is a major setback for human rights in Malaysia."

Human rights is one of the most basic and fundamental foundations to build a prosperous nation upon. Malaysia has seen its economy transform over the past decades from raw materials into a more diversified and technologically savvy modern one. Statistically speaking, countries in which capital punishment is prominent, women's rights are non-existent, and education is neglected in get left behind as other nations move forward. While sodomy doesn't compare to the aforementioned criteria, archaic laws that punish what should be a basic human right do hinder the ability for a nation to grow.

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Malaysian Economy / Basic Information