realpolitikasia: Penny Wong's desire for acceptance in Malaysia may have cost Anwar Ibrahim Malay Muslim votes

by Ganesh Sahathevan

PM Anwar receives courtesy call from Australian foreign minister Penny Wong | Malay Mail

Openly gay Penny Wong's presence in Malaysia is incongruos with

Malaysia's oppsoition to LGBTIQ lifestyles

Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong has been on a campaign to be accepted in Malaysia, her country of birth, despite her advocacy of LGBT rights.

Photos like the one above with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, and other Malaysian officials are immediately tweeted on to her Twitter account, but the Malaysian media seems to have avoided publicity of the same.

That is understandable given the fact that Malaysia is a Muslim country, a fact reinforced in recent state elections which saw Anwar and his unity government partners lose a significant number of seats to the Muslim party PAS.

Anwar's apparent promotion of left leaning policies is said to have been a factor in his loss.

Penny Wong's self-promotion, aided by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation could not have helped Anwar's campaign, and is quite likely to have added to the opinion among voters in Anwar's Malay Muslim base that Anwar was turning too far left.

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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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