Malay PM: Gay UK ministers unwelcome

Malaysia's prime minister says he does not approve of gay ministers

LONDON, England -- Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has said he would expel any gay British government minister who visited Malaysia with a boyfriend.

"The British people accept homosexual ministers. But if they ever come here bringing their boyfriend along, we will throw them out," he told BBC radio on Thursday.

"We will not accept them."

Predominantly Muslim Malaysia was criticised when Finance Minister Anwar Ibrahim was jailed on sodomy and abuse of power charges in 1998.

He is currently serving a 15-year jail term.

Mahathir has always argued that Anwar, who was being groomed as his successor, had been tried fairly and he rejected international condemnation of the verdict and the nation's judicial system.

"In this country a homosexual is not acceptable as prime minister," he said. "It is a difference of values."

"I had planned to step down in 1998 and unfortunately I had a problem with my deputy.

"We cannot have a deputy who is homosexual -- not in this country. We don't accept it.

"In other countries they can have ministers who are homosexual.

"That's okay -- but not here."

British Prime Minister Tony Blair broke new ground in British politics by appointing openly gay Chris Smith as culture minister in 1997.

Then Agriculture Minister Nick Brown acknowledged he was gay when a former lover tried to sell his story to a newspaper.

Former cabinet minister Peter Mandelson, one of Blair's closest confidants and architect of his first landslide election victory, was outed on live television when a commentator described him as homosexual.