Fridae

Malaysia?s Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad warned on Thursday that he would throw out any gay British minister should he visit the country with his male partner, according to various media reports.

"The British people accept homosexual ministers. But if they ever come here bringing their boyfriend along, we will throw them out," he said in an interview with BBC radio.

Dr Mahathir explained that other nations might have gay ministers because there was a difference in values as homosexuality was unacceptable in the predominantly Muslim country.

His former deputy Anwar Ibrahim who was once designated to be his successor is currently serving a 15-year jail term jail since 1998 on charges of sodomy and corruption.

However, supporters of Anwar believe that the charges against him were trumped up as he had dared to challenge Mahathir's authority.

According to UK?s Guardian, gay rights activist Peter Tatchell said that while he was not aware of the ban, the comments were not surprising in the light of Malaysia's poor human rights record.

"In Malaysia, a consenting 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," he added.

He also accused the Malaysian leader of trying to dictate to the UK government who it could send to his country as a representative.

Reacting to the ban on gay ministers, Britain?s Foreign Office issued a curt statement saying, ?Jack Straw [Britain?s Foreign Secretary] 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. Sources cited by the Guardian insisted that Mr Bradshaw who met the Malaysian high commissioner to London within weeks of his appointment in June, would continue to cover the country.