realpolitikasia: Australia's Dept Of Foreign Affairs & Trade will speak with LGBTQI communities in Southeast Asia, Pacific to identify areas in which Australia can provide financial and other support -Singapore has already warned the US Embassy Singapore that that would be considered interference in domestic politics

by Ganesh Sahathevan

Pink Dot Singapore may be a beneficiary of the millions Australia's Penny Wong has promised members of "our community" in this region

The Mandarin reported on Thursday 2 March 2023, quoting Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong :

“In the coming months, I have asked our Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to consult across our region and our community to identify the areas in which we are best equipped to make a difference."

Even Singapore , let alone Muslim majority Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei, is likely to see Wong's move as interference in domestic politics

As Reuters reported in May 2021:

Socially-conservative Singapore on Wednesday said it "noted with regret" that the U.S. embassy in the city-state had co-hosted a webinar with a local LGBT support group earlier this week.

Multi-ethnic Singapore has strict laws regulating public assembly. Foreigners are prohibited from participating in events dealing with a political cause.

"Ministry of foreign affairs has reminded the U.S. Embassy that foreign missions here are not to interfere in our domestic social and political matters, including issues such as how sexual orientation should be dealt with in public policy," it said in a statement.

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Saturday, March 4, 2023

Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong recently visited Malaysia after pledging millions in funding for LGBTQIA+ organisations worldwide -funding commitments to Malaysian entities not disclosed

by Ganesh Sahathevan

The Mandarin reported on Thursday 2 March 2023:

“A new Inclusion and Equality Fund will be Australia’s first dedicated fund to support LGBTQIA+ civil society organisations and human rights defenders, international partnerships and networks — helping address social stigma and legal discrimination,” Wong said via a recorded message.
As a first step, Australia will contribute more to the Global Equality Fund, a fund focused on protecting LGBT+ rights globally.
“But this is just the start,” Wong said.
“In the coming months, I have asked our Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to consult across our region and our community to identify the areas in which we are best equipped to make a difference.
“This will inform a dedicated LGBTQIA+ human rights engagement strategy — including bilateral and multilateral diplomacy, development and humanitarian assistance.”

Wong is travelling to Malaysia and India this week, with her first visit to the latter as foreign minister.

Wong has been very public about her advocacy of gay rights but that fact has been kept silent in Australia, and by friendly media in Malaysia and Singapore.That however will not prevent questions from being raised in Malaysia about who in Malaysia is being or will be supported by Wong's funding.

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