Conservatism is a global infestation of hatred, bigotry and oppression. Nothing good in human history has ever come from conservatism. I hope Malaysians will someday be able to cure themselves of this disease.
Just putting this out cause the “predominantly Muslim” comment tilts the blame fully into Muslims. There are many non-Muslims in the country that are homophobic, and openly so. Homophobia isn’t just a religious problem, even though it looks like it generally is in the West. I’ve heard of the worst comments from non-Muslims, and I’ve heard of the best supportive statements from Muslims in Malaysia. Generally, the younger generation is more accepting, while the older generation is much harsher on LGBTQ+.
That said though, the government is still run by old farts, many of whom are, welp, old. It’s why we see these kinds of non-sensical laws coming out of their parliament. It’s even funnier if you look at other things they’ve rolled out in the recent years or even months.