Malaysia Makes Owning LGBTQ+ Swatch A Crime With Up To 3 Years Of Jail Time

Image via Swatch

People in Malaysia cannot wear the rainbow flag out on their wrists. Not on the government’s watch.

Malaysian authorities announced on Thursday that all Swatch products and packaging splashed in Pride themes have been banned, and that owning one could put offenders behind bars for up to three years. The legislation also forbids the items from being distributed.

Same-sex relations are illegal in the country, which operates under Islamic and colonial-era civil laws.

As noted by the Associated Press, documentation outlining the new rule has been published in the nation’s Federal Gazette, which makes the ban official.

Image via Swatch

Swatch products no longer allowed in Malaysia include one with its face containing all colors of the pride flag, as well as a Pride Collection of single-hued timepieces corresponding to the rainbow.

Image via Swatch

The government detailed that elements in the watches “may harm morality [and] public interest” by contributing to “promoting, supporting, and normalizing the LGBTQ+ movement that is not accepted by the general public in Malaysia.”

This is officials’ latest step in clamping down the circulation of Pride Swatches. Back in May, Swatch stores in Malaysia’s malls were raided by law enforcement, who seized more than 160 units from the Pride Collection.

The government warned that anyone found in possession of the offending goods could “be imprisoned for a period of not exceeding three years, or fined not exceeding 20,000 ringgit (US$4,363), or both.”

Following the raid in May, the Swiss watchmaker sued the Malaysian government for damages and asked for the Pride pieces to be returned.

“We strongly contest that our collection of watches using rainbow colors and having a message of peace and love could be harmful for whomever,” Swatch Group CEO Nick Hayek Jr. proclaimed, per Reuters.

[via Associated Press and CBS News, images via Swatch]