29-5-2023 (KUALA LUMPUR) The recent confiscation of rainbow-coloured Swatch watches by Malaysia’s Home Affairs Ministry in May was reportedly prompted by the presence of the letters “LGBTQ” on the watch faces, referring to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer community.
A government source, as quoted by Free Malaysia Today (FMT) in a report on Monday (May 29), stated that hundreds of watches were seized, all bearing the “LGBTQ” letters on their faces. The source clarified that the watches were not seized solely because of their rainbow colours, adding that if that were the case, Paddle Pop ice creams would need to be confiscated as well.
The watches in question were part of Swatch’s Pride collection, which featured six colours instead of the traditional seven colours found in a rainbow. The six-colour pride flag is a well-known symbol of the LGBT community.
According to local media, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim clarified last Thursday that the confiscation was due to the presence of LGBT symbols on the watches, not solely because of their colours.
In response, Swatch Group CEO Nick Hayek issued a statement emphasizing that the seized watches did not contain any reference to the LGBT community. The Malay Mail quoted him in a report last Friday, stating, “Mr Anwar Ibrahim stated in a recent interview that Swatch’s latest collection of colourful watches includes the letters LGBT on their dials. Apparently, he was misinformed.”
Hayek further clarified, “Swatch has not included any reference to the LGBT community on the dials of this year’s Pride collection. These colourful watches include the meaning of each pride colour (life, healing, sunlight, nature, harmony, spirit) on their minute hands and two loops that form a rainbow.”
