Malaysia makes owning an LGBTQ Swatch punishable by up to three years in jail

Malaysian authorities raided Swatch stores and confiscated more than 160 watches in May (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)

Malaysia’s government has said all Swatch products that contain lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer elements – including watches, wrappers and boxes – are banned, warning that anyone found with one could be jailed for up to three years.

The ban has been published in the Federal Gazette – which makes it official – as part of a printing law that includes distribution and possession, citing concerns that such products were detrimental to the nation’s morality.