Swatch Group announced on Wednesday that Malaysian authorities had seized rainbow-colored watches with messages in support of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights.
According to reports, the Swatch watches were seized during a police raid in Malaysia on May 13 and 14.
The watches, according to the Swiss watchmaker, are part of a “Pride collection” created to honor the LGBTQ+ community and its fight for acceptance and inclusion.
CEO Nick Hayek expressed his displeasure and concern. “We strongly contest that our collection of watches using rainbow colors and having a message of peace and love could be harmful for whomever.”
The rainbow flag represents the LGBT movement, which advocates for the rights of the LGBTQ community.
The firm has threatened legal action in an attempt to recover the goods, according to the Swiss newspaper Tages-Anzeiger.
Human rights organizations and activists in Malaysia have expressed concern in recent years about the country’s growing intolerance of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community.
Last year, eighteen people were questioned by Islamic religious authorities after being detained at an LGBT Halloween party.
In Malaysia, although same-sex crimes are illegal, they are rarely prosecuted. Civil laws apply to everyone else, while Islamic criminal and family laws apply to Muslims.
