India, Jan. 30 -- Zulkifli Hasan, Malaysia's Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs), has landed at the centre of a public storm after comments linking work-related stress and social factors to what he described as LGBT lifestyles, drawing sharp criticism and widespread debate across the country, local media reported.

In a written reply to Parliament, Zulkifli referred to a 2017 study by Sulaiman et al., stating that several factors may influence an individual's involvement in LGBT-related behaviour.

These include social influences, sexual experiences, work-related stress and other personal circumstances.

"The study emphasised that a combination of these elements may contribute to the development of LGBT-related...