PETALING JAYA: A Malaysian man accused of pretending to be gay to avoid deportation from the United Kingdom, has been granted asylum after the Home Office accepted that people could be gay and single, according to The Guardian.
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The UK news outlet said the result was being celebrated as a victory against outdated stereotypes about gay people.
Yew Fook Sam had faced deportation after an immigration judge questioned why he could not prove any past relationships to help prove his sexuality.
However, the Home Office granted him asylum for five years following a campaign by Open Table, a Christian community for LGBTQ+ people.
Yew, 67, said it was “the best Christmas present ever” when he received the news.
“Oh, my God, I was so happy. I was at college when my lawyer rang me, and I was screaming and shouting. I was so joyful.
“My classmates were wondering what was going on, ” The Guardian quoted him as saying.
Yew has been studying travel and tourism at Liverpool college, where he is the LGBT class representative.
“We think it is fundamental for outdated stereotypes and prejudice regarding sexuality to be challenged in the context of those seeking sanctuary, and to take those further steps to protect our most vulnerable clients, ” said Yew’s lawyer Helene Santamera.
“It is credit to Sam’s bravery and to all of those involved in supporting him for achieving this outcome. His case highlights the effort and perseverance that is required to obtain justice for the voiceless and those on the margins, ” she was quoted as saying.
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Yew arrived in the United Kingdom in 2005 on a tourist visa and never left.
He claimed asylum on the basis that he would be persecuted for his sexuality were he to return home, but found it difficult as he did not have a partner for most of his stay.
At an immigration tribunal, a judge was reported to have said that there were a “number of inconsistencies in his evidence that go to the very core of his claim to be a homosexual man”.
“The appellant claims that he had no relationships between 2005 and 2016. The appellant is unable to produce as a witness a single person in the United Kingdom who can vouch for the appellant in terms of being or having been in a homosexual relationship with him, either a loving relationship or a sexual one.
“Given that the appellant left Malaysia in order to express his sexuality, I find that incredible, ” the judge said, according to The Guardian.
In appealing against his deportation, Yew said he told a judge that he didn’t have a boyfriend because he was surviving on the £5 (RM27) a day given to asylum seekers.
“I said I hardly have enough money for food for myself, let alone to go out on dates. And anyway, I am 67, and I am short and fat and too old, ” he said.
He added that he wasn’t looking for love and preferred to be alone.
“This government has a proud record of providing protection for asylum seekers fleeing persecution because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
“Each case is considered on its individual merits carefully and sensitively by experienced caseworkers, based on the available evidence and published country information, ” said a Home Office spokesperson. -The Star