In case you missed it, news of a gay couple from Tawau, Sabah having a sweet wedding proposal went viral recently but it appears that this has ruffled some feathers.
On November 9, 28-year-old Ivan proposed to his partner of three years, 26-year-old Winson in a romantic video that has been circulating widely on social media. Homosexuality is still not widely accepted in Malaysia and this has sparked controversy, as people hotly debated the topic.
According to Borneo Post, several youth non-governmental organisations (NGOs) from Sabah even lodged a police report against the couple. They said that they hope the relevant authorities will investigate the matter as same sex marriage is illegal in Malaysia. But they aren’t married yet, though!
The three youth NGOs, which include Persatuan Nur Al-Musthofaa Kota Kinabalu and Persatuan Anak Sabah Bersatu, have voiced out their displeasure and sent representatives to file a police report at the district’s police headquarters in Karamunsing.
One of the representatives, Shyazreen Asri said,
“To me this is not supposed to happen. We strongly object to the action of these two men and want the relevant authorities to take deterrent action against them as same sex marriage is illegal in Malaysia.”
“Although the couple’s union is not legal, their action has angered netizens in Tawau and Sabah.”
Persatuan Anak Sabah Bersatu representative Syed Alif Syed Hamid added that as Muslims, they were objecting strongly to homosexuality and said that the couple’s behaviour has caused much dissatisfaction among netizens.
“This police report is to inform the police and urge the local authorities to take action against them. If we do not curb what they are doing, more may follow suit. We are confident that this is not allowed by any religion and this is an unhealthy culture that is why we are protesting,” he added.
To date, Ivan and Winson have still not decided which country they will be going to legalise their union.
Meanwhile, we’re just sitting here hoping to have a wedding proposal that’s at least half as sweet as theirs was! #ForeverAlone
Also read: Gay Malaysian Couple Goes Viral After Sharing Sweet Wedding Proposal Video