Malaysia holds seminars on how to spot gay children

KUALA LUMPUR (REUTERS) - The Malaysian government has begun holding seminars aiming to help teachers and parents spot signs of homosexuality in children, underscoring a rise in religious conservatism in the Muslim majority nation.

So far, the Teachers Foundation of Malaysia has organised 10 seminars across the nation. Attendance at the last event on Wednesday reached 1,500 people, a spokesman for the organisation told Reuters.

"It is a multi-religious and multicultural (event), after all, all religions are basically against that type of behaviour," said the official.

The federal government said in March that it is working to curb the "problem" of homosexuality, especially among Muslims who make up over 60 per cent of Malaysia's 29 million people.