Malaysia’s first gay-themed film has been a hit at the box office but an official from the conservative Islamic party last Thursday called for it to be banned despite itsanti-homosexual ending.

Dalam Botol (‘Inside a Bottle’) raked in one million ringgit (€233,489) in the first five days, making it a local hit, the Star daily reported, despite Malaysia’s conservative views on homosexuality. The film, which opened on March 24, features a gay male character who has a sex-change operation to please his lover but finally regrets the procedure. It ends with him falling in love with a girl. Although the film has a gay theme, producer Raja Azmi Raja Sulaiman said she regarded it as a warning to the public about homosexual culture.

In Malaysia, positive depictions of homosexuality in popular culture are taboo with local media facing fines of up to 50,000 ringgit (about €11,675).

Sodomy, even between consenting adults, is illegal and punishable by up to 20 years in prison and lashing. Although the film ends with the lead character opting for a heterosexual relationship, Hatta Ramli, senior opposition lawmaker from the conservative Pan-Malaysia Islamic Party (PAS), told AFP that films depicting gay lifestyles should not be shown to the public.