Malaysia bans rainbow Swatch watches in its crackdown on ‘LGBTQ+ elements’

A popular tourist destination is threatening to fine and even jail anyone that enters the country wearing a watch from a special Swatch collection. See why.

Australians planning a trip to Malaysia are being warned to beware after the country banned pride-themed Swatch watches from being owned or sold, with anyone caught wearing one facing three years in jail.

Rainbow-coloured watches made by the Swiss watchmaker have been banned in the Muslim-majority country for “promoting, supporting, and normalising the LGBTQ+ movement that isn’t accepted by the general public”.

Homosexuality is illegal in the southeast Asian nation and homosexual acts are punishable by up to 20 years in prison and/or whipping.

Any individual wearing or distributing the watches could also be fined 20,000 Malaysian ringgit ($A6711), according to the ban notice.

Swatch watches from the brand's Pride collection spotted at an outlet in Selangor, Malaysia. Picture: Facebook

“The Malaysian government is committed to preventing the spread of elements that are harmful or may be harmful to morals,” the interior ministry said in a statement.

“The watches may harm … the interests of the nation by promoting, supporting and normalising the LGBTQ+ movement that is not accepted by the general public”.

The formal ban is just the latest crackdown by the government on rainbow-coloured Swatch products.

Watches are displayed for sale at a Swatch store at Setia City Mall. Picture: Yusof Mat Isa

Malaysia‘s law enforcement unit at the interior ministry raided Swatch stores at 11 shopping malls across the country in May, including in the capital Kuala Lumpur, for timepieces bearing what it called “LGBT elements”.

A ministry official told AFP in May that 172 watches worth $14,000 were seized in raids because they bore the “LGBTQ” acronym and had six colours instead of the seven in a rainbow.

The six-colour rainbow Pride flag is one of the most well-known LGBTQ+ symbols globally.

In June, Swatch filed a lawsuit against the Malaysian government over the seizure, writing that the watches “did not promote any sexual activity but merely a fun and joyous expression of peace and love”.