Swatch, the Swiss watchmaker, is suing the Malaysian government for recalling 172 rainbow-colored watches associated with the LGBT+ community from its local retailers. In Malaysia, same-sex relationships are considered a crime, and the watches in question were recalled from a number of retailers last May, in an operation by a police unit of the Malaysian Home Ministry, because “they had LGBT elements”. Swatch’s lawsuit had been filed last June 24 in a court in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, but it was made known only on Monday from the local newspaper Malay Mail.
In the lawsuit, Swatch argued that its watches were “in no way capable of causing disturbances to public order or morals or violations of the law”, and claimed added who had no ties to LGBT+ activism. Of the 172 watches seized, some were those of the collection created for Pride, the month of initiatives and demonstrations for the rights of LGBT+ people. Swatch has requested financial compensation and the return of the watches, claiming that its business reputation has been damaged by the actions of the Malaysian government and that it has suffered financial damage.