SHAH ALAM – Perlis Perikatan Nasional chairman Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim has criticised remarks by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Dr Zulkifli Hasan, who recently suggested that work-related stress could be among the factors leading individuals to engage in lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) activities.
Describing the statement as shallow and lacking proper research, Shahidan questioned whether it was based on any credible study.
“Which study is this based on? From where did the minister obtain research that claims stress causes involvement in LGBT?” he said in a video posted on his official social media account on Facebook.
The Arau Member of Parliament said such claims should not be made lightly without clear data and a strong academic foundation.
“What research is this? Research conducted by whom?” he added.
Shahidan further stressed that as the minister responsible for religious affairs, Zulkifli should have guided the public towards Islamic approaches in dealing with stress.
“He should have said that if someone is stressed, they should perform ablution, pray and carry out repentance prayers, because Islam teaches us to resolve various problems through spiritual discipline,” he said.
Shahdan also questioned the broader implications of linking stress to LGBT issues, warning that such statements could mislead the public.
“I want to ask several questions. First, how many Muslims in Malaysia are actually involved in LGBT?
"Second, which research supports this claim? Third, does LGBT involvement come with facilities or conveniences in this country that encourage such behaviour?” he said.
Shahidan said the minister’s statement should be withdrawn, describing it as careless and made without deep consideration.
“If research was truly conducted, how was it done? Was it random? Malaysia has 35 million people. What was the methodology?” he said.
He emphasised that any serious study should be detailed and broken down by race and religion before conclusions about stress could be drawn.
“Using the word stress like this opens the door to lowering the minister’s credibility.
“Why say this is the cause of LGBT? In the end, people who are stressed may think LGBT is a solution to their problems. What kind of statement is this?” he said.
Previously, Zulkifli said involvement in LGBT behaviour could be influenced by multiple factors, including work-related stress.
He said this was based on a 2017 study which found that social influence, sexual experience and other personal factors also played a role.
He claimed the study identified family background, social environment and a lack of religious understanding as the main contributors to LGBT-related issues.
Zulkifli made the clarification in a written parliamentary reply to Datuk Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff (PN–Rantau Panjang), who sought updated data and statistics on LGBT trends in Malaysia, including age groups, ethnic composition and contributing factors based on national studies or agency reports.
He added that the Malaysian Islamic Development Department did not have comprehensive data or statistics on the LGBT community, citing limited research and a lack of nationwide studies on the issue.