Malaysian court fines Indian man USD 1,168 over clothes reflecting ‘support’ for LGBTQ

A 70-year-old Indian man was fined over USD 1,000 by a Malaysian court on Monday for obscenity after he took part in a fundraiser for children suffering from cerebral palsy wearing clothes reflecting "support" for the LGBTQ community.

Satyanarayana Prasad Papoli and 66-year-old Arthur Wang from Taiwan were fined USD 1,168 each for dressing inappropriately at the run meant to raise funds for the Spastic Children's Association of Johor.

Papoli, a former lawyer, apologised and requested that the fine be reduced on the grounds that he is already 70, has a wife, who works as a doctor and came here to participate in a charity programme.

The viral footage from the run showed some of the male participants who cross-dressed and participants wearing rainbow socks, which were perceived to be an endorsement of the LGBTQ culture.

LGBTQ activities are rejected in Malaysia, according to media reports.

Papoli and Wang pleaded guilty to the charges in a Johor court for committing obscene acts in public, which carries a maximum of three months’ imprisonment or a fine or both upon conviction.

They were detained on Saturday along with another local participant at a hotel for suspected lewd and indecent behaviour during the race.

Wang, who is a retiree and activist, appealed for a lenient sentence on the grounds that he was not familiar with and did not fully understand the culture of the country. He also told the court that the attire he wore was traditional clothing of the indigenous people from "Orchid Island" in Taiwan and that he wore it to promote that culture.

The garment allegedly showed his buttocks while he was running in the race.

"I apologise to the government and the people of Malaysia for this mistake that has offended the people of this country and promise not to repeat this act," he said.

Other participants were also detained for reflecting the attire in support of the LGBT community in the event, which had 2,000 runners from 30 countries.

While many runners donned red T-shirts during the event, some chose to wear lingerie and saris.