Malaysian politician withdraws Aids statement

A Malaysian politician has retracted a statement that people with HIV should not marry, it has been reported.

Conservative Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party member Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin was quoted by the New Strait Times as saying it would be a "gross error".

His comments have been slated by Aids activists, reported AFP.

Mr Jamaluddin changed his statement to say that people should prove they are receiving medical treatment to their spouses.

Earlier deputy premier Najib Razak announced plans to extend mandatory pre-marital HIV screening across all states next year.

Currently, this measure is only in place in parts of the country.
Director of women’s group Tenaganita said last week: "It is a screwed-up perspective. After so many years of HIV/Aids education they [the government] come up with such views. This is very worrying."

Although new cases of HIV/Aids have decreased by more than 1,000 from 2006 to 2007, the number of new infections among women has increased.

The majority of new infections are through intravenous drug use, according to reports received by the World Health Organization.

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