Fridae

Dr Mohamad Mahat left Malaysia for Australia in 1993 after being photographed by tabloids after police raided the gay bar he was in. With familial links to Malaysian royalty, the then 31-year-old said in a Sydney newspaper interview that he thought it was ironic that the incident received more press coverage than for being the first Malaysian to win the ASEAN Young Scientist of the Year award in 1989. He also said that he found copies of the article spread across the desks and in the tearoom the following Monday morning at the research lab he was working at then.

In 1999, he founded Asian Marching Boys (AMB) with child-psychologist/ filmmaker Alexander Ku - with the aim to help encourage gay Asians in Sydney take a more pro-active role in the search for their cultural, sexual and political identity.

æ: ASOL (Age, Sex, Occupation, Location)
Mohamad: 42, M, Medical Scientist, Sydney

æ: What's your "look"?
Mohamad: Butch, Musculine, SNAG

æ: Some readers might remember you being outed by Malaysian newspapers/tabloids in 1993 when police raided the gay bar you were in. You decided to relocate to Australia following that incident. Looking back, if you could do it all over again, what would you change?
Mohamad: I've always wondered what would have happened if I continued to stay in Malaysia and toughed it out, would my family and friends continued to support me? Would my career have suffered?

æ: What had inspired you to found the Asian Marching Boys?
Mohamad: The desire to fight racism and discrimination and provide visibility for the Asian gay community in Sydney (which is pretty big).

æ: What are you currently occupied with?
Mohamad: My mom died last Dec so I am very much preoccupied with keeping the family together. (I have 12 brothers and sisters and they all look up to me).

æ: What's the latest in the Sydney gay scene?
Well, Oxford St hasn't changed much, the same nightclubs, etc, but Mohamad: Sydney has been flooded with dance parties of late. And of course we have Mardi Gras coming in a couple of weeks time. On the socio-political front, there have been a few debates on the gay marriage especially after the ban by PM John Howard, and there also has been a continuing debate about Mardi Gras and whether it is still relevant, etc.

æ: What inspires you?
Mohamad: People who give their time for a good cause.

æ: What is your earliest childhood memory?
Mohamad: Fighting with my elder brothers, three of them.

æ: What is the achievement you are most proud of?
Mohamad: Coming to term with my sexuality (being Muslim and all), and of course being the first Malaysian to win the ASEAN Young Scientist Award. I am also very proud of the Asian Marching Boys, they have been the role models to many Asian gays all around the world.

æ: How are you misunderstood?
Mohamad: People always ask me if I am Mexican (I do speak a bit of Spanish)

æ: How do you spend your Sundays?
Mohamad: If I have a big sat night, then I will spend my Sunday in bed.

æ: Tell us one of your fantasies?
Mohamad: I have many and they always involve twins. LOL.

æ: What do you think is important in a relationship?
Mohamad: Communication, honesty and being able to give and take.

æ: What (or who) turns you on?
Mohamad: Intellectually - any discussion about America's foreign policy; sexually - I like smooth bodies...

æ: What is your vision for the gay community?
Mohamad: Being accepted (by the general community) and being able to accept people from different culture backgrounds. And of course I would love to see gay men stop bitching and whinging.

æ: Who would your dream date be if you were straight for a day?
Mohamad: Malaysian singer and diva, Sheila Majid. (I am an old man! Hehe)

The Asian Marching Boys community dancers will perform at the ARQ on March 4 and the AMD contingent will march in the Sydney Gay and Lesbian parade on March 5. Participants who want to march in the contingent can register through the AMB (www.asianmarchingboys.org) website. (AMB welcomes all men and women, regardless of age, race, cultural background or religion. It welcomes Australians as well as overseas visitors.)