No GAY to be Prime Minister

Britain issued a rebuke last night to the veteran Malaysian prime minister, Mahathir Mohamad, after he threatened to expel gay British ministers if they visited his country with their partners.
In a terse statement, the Foreign Office said: "Jack Straw strongly considers that people's private lives are private." His remarks were seen as support for Ben Bradshaw, the openly gay Foreign Office minister, whose portfolio includes Malaysia.

The diplomatic spat flared up after Dr Mohamad threatened to throw out gay British ministers if they "come here bringing their boyfriend". In an interview with Radio 4's Today programme Dr Mohamad, who had his former deputy, Anwar Ibrahim, jailed on charges of sodomy and corruption, said that homosexuality was unacceptable in his predominantly Muslim country.

"The British people accept homosexual ministers but if they ever come here bringing their boyfriend along, we will throw them out," he said.

In Malaysia, a consenting sexual gay relationship is punishable by up to 20 years jail plus flogging and this is probably one of the harshest penalties for gay relations anywhere in the world.