KUALA LUMPUR — The PAS Ulama Council (DUPP) has urged the government to take firm action against the airing of the animated series Santiago of the Seas, which has been accused of featuring LGBTQ+ characters and promoting a gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) agenda indirectly.
Datuk Mohd Nor Hamzah, the information chief of DUPP, emphasised the need for the government to address any content linked to LGBT themes, warning that such portrayals could normalise what they consider deviant behaviours in Malaysia.
He pointed out that such issues have increasingly targeted children in recent years.
“DUPP suggests that the government conduct thorough screenings of foreign cartoons to avoid the potential spread of LGBT influences,” he said in a statement today.
“The subtle attacks from LGBT supporters are becoming harder to detect, slowly infiltrating the minds of children.”
The controversy erupted after social media users expressed concern over alleged LGBT+ elements in Santiago of the Seas, a series currently airing on a government-owned TV channel.
DUPP also expressed the view that including LGBT themes in children’s cartoons is part of a long-term strategy to erode young minds, ultimately shaping a society that accepts such ideologies in the future.
“This moral decay should be a major concern and must be confronted with clear policies that are uncompromising,” Hamzah said.
“DUPP calls for more focus on local animation production, as we already have the capability. It is safer for the country’s future to avoid normalising harmful influences, especially for children.”
Some parents and concerned citizens have voiced their worries on social media, with some questioning how the content was allowed to air on a local television station, considering Malaysia’s status as an Islamic nation.
The series Santiago of the Seas, which was partly produced in Malaysia, has gained attention for its connection to the local animation industry.
A significant portion of the animation and CGI work was completed by Lemon Sky Studios, a Malaysian company, during the Movement Control Order (MCO) in 2020. – November 17, 2025