• News
    • Local
    • San Francisco
    • State
    • National
    • International
  • Perspectives
    • Opinions
    • Columns
    • Sports
  • Features
    • HIV & AIDS
    • Health
    • Seniors
    • Spirituality
    • Transgender / Transsexual
    • Real Estate
    • Everybody’s Business
    • Travel
    • Fitness
  • Arts & Entertainment
    • Theatre
    • Music
    • Books
    • Television
    • Film
  • Newspaper
    • Contact
    • Advertising Info
We The People
Voice of the LGBTQIA+ Community in the North Bay
  • News
    • Local
    • San Francisco
    • State
    • National
    • International
  • Perspectives
    • Opinions
    • Columns
    • Sports
  • Features
    • HIV & AIDS
    • Health
    • Seniors
    • Spirituality
    • Transgender / Transsexual
    • Real Estate
    • Everybody’s Business
    • Travel
    • Fitness
  • Arts & Entertainment
    • Theatre
    • Music
    • Books
    • Television
    • Film

International/ News/ Top Stories

Malaysia seizes rainbow Pride-themed Swatch watches

Jake McKee, Pink News May 30, 2023

Pride-themed Swatch watches have been seized by authorities in Malaysia in raids of 11 of its stores, reportedly due to ‘LGBT symbols’ on the timepieces. 

The raids happened between 13 to 15 May and around $14,000 (£11,347) worth of stock was seized, according to various media reports. 

The watches were part of the brand’s 2023 Pride collection, launched on 4 May, which features six different watch faces in Pride colours. Each watch strap is made up of two bands containing colours that make up the full Pride flag. 

As reported by local newspaper MalayMail, Malaysian prime minister Anwar Ibrahim was questioned about the seizures while making his way to parliament on Thursday (25 May). 

Ibrahim told reporters: “The only fact I know is that the confiscation was because the watches had LGBT symbols, not because of the colours.”

In a statement to the AFP news agency, Swatch Malaysia’s marketing manager Sarah Kok said the stock would be replenished and displayed on shelves. 

Swatch Group chief executive Nick Hayek said the company “strongly contests” that the watches “could be harmful”, saying that the collection is meant to spread a message of peace and love. 

“We wonder how the Home Ministry’s enforcement unit will confiscate the many beautiful natural rainbows that are showing up thousand times a year in the sky of Malaysia,” he said.

AFP quoted an anonymous ministry official who said the watches had “LGBT” on them and had six colours (as in the Pride flag) instead of seven in a rainbow. 

Malaysia currently has no protections for LGBTQ+ people, and its poor track record on LGTBQ+ rights was recently highlighted with by the country’s handling of calls to cancel a scheduled Coldplay concert.

The band’s November performance was announced in same the week that the watch raids took place, and welcomed on social media by Ibrahim.

However, an opposition MP called for it to be cancelled because frontman Chris Martin has been pictured holding Pride flags in the past. 

Ibrahim’s local government development minister, Nga Kor Ming, hit back, describing such a call an “old-fashioned way of thinking” that was “not suitable for our multicultural society”.

Related Posts

International /

Ugandan Mothers Stand by Their LGBT Children

News /

Sonoma County Pride Announces Main Stage Entertainment Lineup for 2025 Festival

Top Stories /

Paris unveils a memorial to LGBTQ victims of Nazi regime and other persecutions

‹ LGBTQ Groups To Target: Defend Us, Stand Up To Hate › San Francisco DocFest 2023 Interview: “Cisco Kid” Director Emily Kaye Allen

Back to Top

  • News
  • Perspectives
  • Features
  • Arts & Entertainment
  • Newspaper
© We The People 2025
Powered by WordPress • Themify WordPress Themes