Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad spoke up against the acceptance of lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders (LGBT) in Malaysia on Oct. 25.

Decrying LGBT as "Western values", Mahathir stated:

"At this moment, we do not accept LGBT but if they (the West) want to accept, that is their business. Don't force it on us."

Mahathir's remarks were delivered at a public lecture titled, "Malaysia-Thailand Bilateral Relations in the context of Asean" in Chulalongkorn University at Bangkok.

Mahathir's comment marked a contrast to the approach of the Thai military junta towards the LGBT issue.

As reported by the Nikkei Asian Review on Oct. 16, the Thai military junta is aiming to prepare a bill that would effectively recognise same-sex unions by the the end of 2018.

The military government is then expected to pass the bill before the next Thai general election is held, estimated to be sometime in February 2019.

Mahathir: Asian values vs. Western values

Mahathir couched his remarks in terms of competing value systems, as quoted by Today:

"Sometimes Asians will accept western values without questioning.

But do we have to copy everything? If they one day decide to walk around naked, do we have to follow? We have our values. So I am proud that we have our own values."

Channel NewsAsia further reported that during the Q&A segment, Mahathir also brought up marriage as another point against the acceptance of LGBT, where he noted that marriage as an "institution" had been "discarded in the West":

"For example in the West now, men marry men, women marry women, and then the family is not made up of father, mother and the child, but is two men adopting one child from somebody. They call themselves a family. The institution of marriage, the institution of family, has now been disregarded in the West."

Mahathir's remarks came hot on the heels of former Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi's Oct. 23 statements that the Palu earthquake and tsunami was the result of "more than 1,000 (people)... involved in such (LGBT) activities."

Ahmad added:

"As a result, the whole area was crushed. This is punishment from Allah."

Previously in September, Mahathir had denounced the caning of two lesbians for having sex in Terengganu under sharia law.

At that time, Mahathir stated:

"The Cabinet discussed the case of the two women and is of the view that (their punishment) does not reflect the ideals of justice and compassion of Islam.

As this was the first case for them, they should've been given advice and not punished."

Thai military junta: legislation vs. society

In Thailand, the military junta's proposed bill would make it the latest legislative step taken to ease discrimination against the LGBT community.

The bill is expected to address the inability of individuals in a same-sex relationship to receive the body of a dead partner and the issue of inheritance of their partner's assets.

However, it will not include allowing same-sex couples to adopt children.

Previously, as the Nikkei Asian Review reported, the junta previously enacted a gender equality law in 2015 which, among other things, banned corporate policies and rules discriminatory to LGBT people, with violators subject to fines and prison.

However, attitudes in Buddhist-majority Thailand are still largely conservative.

Danai Linjongrut, executive director of the LGBT advocacy group Rainbow Sky Association of Thailand, was reported by the Nikkei Asian Review as stating that many Thais still believe LGBT people committed crimes in previous lives and are now paying the price.

Linjongrut added that there was also a tendency among Thais to view the LGBT community as people "with whom you can be friends, but whom you don't want in the family."

Why was Mahathir in Thailand?

Mahathir's remarks about the LGBT issue came towards the end of his two-day trip in Thailand which was aimed at strengthening bilateral ties.

Mahathir had met his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister and junta head Prayut Chan-o-cha, on Oct. 24.

The Straits Times reported that their meeting had primarily focused on the issue of the ongoing low-level insurgency in the Thai deep south where Malay militants were fighting for greater autonomy.

At a joint press conference with Prayut, as reported by Channel NewsAsia, Mahathir stressed Malaysia's commitment in acting as a facilitator between the Thai government and the various rebel groups:

"We pledge to help in whatever way possible to end this violence in the south."

"It is not just the case of talking or drawing up treaties, it is really a cooperation between two friendly neighbours and we want to continue that friendship."

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Top image from Mahathir Facebook