COMMENT | The directive to replace the term “LGBTQ+” with “deviant culture”, as reportedly announced by Deputy Religious Affairs Minister Marhamah Rosli, is not a minor semantic adjustment. It is a political act with legal and social consequences.

When the state labels a segment of its own population as “deviant”, it does more than articulate moral disagreement. It codifies stigma. It signals that certain citizens stand outside the circle of dignity and equal protection.

State language carries institutional authority. It shapes enforcement culture, public attitudes and bureaucratic behaviour.

The Federal Constitution does not recognise categories of “acceptable” and “deviant” citizens. Article 8(1) guarantees that all persons are equal before the law and entitled to equal protection.

This is not ornamental phrasing. It is the...