A Malaysian court ordered the country’s government to return 172 rainbow-colored watches that were seized from watchmaker Swatch last year.
In May 2023, the law enforcement unit of the Malaysian interior ministry raided Swatch stores at 11 shopping malls, confiscating timepieces that had what it called “LGBT elements” – i.e. rainbows/and rainbow-colored components – that it said could “harm morals”.
Then in August 2023, Muslim-majority Malaysia banned all rainbow-inspired LGBTQIA watches from Swatch, with sellers and owners threatened with three years in prison. This same ban stressed that anyone who “prints, imports, produces … or has in his possession” such items faces a jail term of up to three years, and any individual wearing or distributing the watches could also be fined 20,000 Malaysian ringgit (£3,425).
However, a court ruled that the government did not have a warrant to confiscate the items, and the law prohibiting their sale was only passed later, thereby making the seizure illegal. The authorities must hand back the items within 14 days.
Since the prohibition has not been overturned, the watches – worth $14,000 (£10,700) – still cannot be sold in Malaysia.
Homosexuality is illegal in Malaysia, and is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
