Mohd Puad Zarkashi

Who is Mohd Puad Zarkashi?

Dr. Mohd Puad Zarkashi is a Malaysian politician and the Member of Parliament for the Batu Pahat constituency in the State of Johor. He is a member of the United Malay National Organisation party and a Deputy Minister of Education under government of Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

Puad was elected as a Member of Parliament in the 2008 election for the seat of Batu Pahat, previously held by UMNO's Junaidy Abdul Wahab. Puad had previously been a Senator.

In April 2008, Puad called for the resignation of then Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi after UMNO's performance in the 2008 election. When Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak replaced Abdullah as Prime Minister in April 2009, Puad was appointed a Deputy Education Minister.

In September 2012, Puad reiterated his belief that homosexuals can be identified through various means among which includes the profound use of "V-Neck and sleeveless clothing" as well as a person's personal preference for "tight and light-colored clothing", which he believes are "symptoms" which would allow parents to spot whether or not their son may be a homosexual, supporting the need to discipline them into turning straight "like it's a disease which can be cured" - a stance that is also endorsed by Malaysia's Education Ministry because they believe that this could actually affect one's ability to learn.