ARTICLE 19 is deeply concerned over the recent cancellation of ‘Glamping with Pride’ retreat programme, following state-led harassment and threats of police investigations into the event. The threats and intimidation are a serious assault on fundamental rights, including freedom of expression and right to access information, and a disturbing escalation in efforts to prevent LGBTQI+ people in Malaysia from exercising their human rights.
On 13 January, community-led organisation JEJAKA announced the cancellation of its ‘Glamping with Pride’ event due to safety concerns, including the organisation receiving death threats on social media. The two-day retreat was originally scheduled to take place on 17-18 January and aimed to improve health literacy and reduce stigma about issues such as HIV.
At least five police reports were made based on the programme’s online promotional poster, leading to police investigations under Section 504 of the Penal Code for intentional insult with intent to provoke a breach of the peace and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act (CMA) for improper use of network facilities.
This incident goes beyond a violation of freedom of expression – it also undermines public health and the right to receive life-saving information. Access to health-related support is a basic human right, not a privilege to be stripped away by the authorities under the guise of protecting ‘morality’, said Nalini Elumalai, ARTICLE 19’s Senior Malaysia Programme Officer.
By targeting initiatives that provide critical health information and peer support, the authorities are putting vulnerable communities at serious risk and failing in their duty to protect those they are meant to serve.
Days before the event, public commentaries and actions by authorities, religious institutions, organisations, and political figures heightened scrutiny of the programme, mounting pressure for its cancellation. For instance, a statement by the Selangor Islamic Religious Council (MAIS) included a call for LGBTQI+ persons to join rehabilitation programmes.
This incident comes just months after several raids of wellness centres in November 2025, and the most recent raid on a hotel at Malacca on 13 January, for allegedly being ‘gay friendly’.
These series of events, including the cancelation of JEJAKA’s programme, signal a dangerous and systemic trend of state-sponsored intimidation, as well as the perpetuation of ‘hate speech’ against LGBTQI+ people without accountability. We must be clear that targeting minorities does not make Malaysia safer; it only emboldens prejudice, normalises discrimination, and forces a peaceful community further underground, while exacerbating an already restrictive climate of self-censorship, added Elumalai.
The authorities must end all discrimination and intimidation against the LGBTQI+ people and conduct prompt and impartial investigations into the threats they face to ensure that perpetrators are held accountable. The government should also take concrete steps to repeal the repressive laws, including the CMA and key provisions in the Penal Code, that continue to be used as tools of systemic intimidation against minorities.