Former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad's unsavoury remarks about homosexuals could cause harm and danger to those from that community, said social science researcher Sharaad Kuttan today.

"Mahathir is creating a spectre of predatory gay individuals not unlike the spectre of a militant Islam. He is incapable of being reflexive. The injustices he sees at a global level he reproduces at a local level," he warned.

"It probably has no power to set policy but is still vicious that it can give support to general homophobia and violence in our society."

Sharaad was commenting on the former premier's ( left ) caustic remarks about the sacking of his ex-deputy Anwar Ibrahim ( right ) at a press conference during a human rights conference last week.

Mahathir said he could not afford to have a "sodomiser" in his cabinet and that nobody in the country "would be safe from a gay prime minister".

Anwar, sacked in 1998 for sexual deviancy and immoral conduct, was later convicted of corruption and sodomy. However, the Federal Court overturned his sodomy conviction last year.

At the same event, Mahathir had also remarked about 'gay media members' allegedly falsifying issues relating to the sacking to assist a 'fraternity member'.

'Don't be judgmental'

PT Foundation (formerly known as Pink Triangle) chairperson Hisham Hussein said a person should not be judged on his or her sexuality.

"A person's sexuality should not be an issue when given roles to perform including that of a prime minister. The person's ability to perform in the role or a specific job is what matters," he said when contacted.

"There are countries that have already recognised this by not disallowing homosexuals to assume leadership posts. After all, it's a basic human right. You are what you are."

PT Foundation, with which Mahathir's daughter Marina is closely associated in relation to Aids awareness work, is a voluntary, non-profit making organisation which conducts education and support programmes on sexuality and HIV.

Mahathir had attended last Friday's Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) conference amidst strong protest from various quarters. The commission came under fire for inviting an alleged human rights violator to speak, and some groups boycotted the event.

Suhakam 'deteriorating'

Commenting on the protests, Sharaad said he was not surprised.

"Having watched Suhakam for a while now, it seems to me that many of its commissioners lack a human rights perspective. That they should invite Mahathir was not surprising to me.

"They speak a vague, humanist language that lacks cogent human rights language and their actions are tokenistic. There is a deterioration of Suhakam as a national human rights project to deepen understanding, create awareness and encourage discourse on human rights.

"If they can't speak a more precise human rights language, how are they going to get others to do so?"

Three foreign diplomats walked out in protest when Mahathir rained criticism on the United States and the United Kingdom in his speech.