Mahathir made the comment after the rare caning of the two women in an Islamic court on Monday, which was witnessed by more than 100 people. The women, aged 22 and 32, were arrested in April and pleaded guilty in an Islamic court. Islamic officials defended the caning, saying it wasn’t painful, unlike caning under civil laws, and was meant to educate the women so they would repent, not to hurt them. The caning occurred amid a climate of fear and discrimination against Malaysia’s LGBT community. A few weeks ago, authorities removed the portraits of two LGBT rights activists from a public exhibition.

Source: National Post September 06, 2018 09:43 UTC