An American animated childrens show has been pulled from the air in Malaysia following complaints about a kiss between two men on the show.As the South China Morning Post reports, state broadcaster Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) has temporarily removed Santiago of the Seas from its network TV2s schedule after viewers complained about a same-sex kiss in an episode that aired on November 16. According to the outlet, viewers objected to seeing the characters Rio and Martn married, same-sex mermen voiced by Thomas Hobson and James Monroe Iglehart share a kiss on the cheek. Related Conservatives rage at old Netflix cartoon for showing two women kissing According to IMDb, Hobsons character appeared in only one episode, Lorelais Family Vacation, which originally aired in the U.S. on Nick Jr. in 2023. Images from the episode, widely available online and posted to social media bySantiago of the Seasco-creator Niki Lopez, clearly show Martn planting a chaste kiss on Rios cheek.SANTIAGO OF THE SEAS featured a gay couple on a special episode that premiered yesterday on Nick Jr. Lorelei's father, Rio, is with Martin. New episodes will continue to air throughout the week at 7:30PM ET pic.twitter.com/jCEbaeOB2Z Cartoon Crave (@TheCartoonCrave) July 4, 2023 Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today But according to SCMP, RTM claimed in a Monday statement that its content assessment had found no actions or displays of affection suggesting same-sex relationships in the series.However, to ensure there are no elements that raise doubt or sensitivities, RTM has halted the broadcast for a detailed review, the statement continued.Malaysian outlet Scoop reports that the Malaysian Islamic Party has urged the government to take action to prevent Santiago of the Seas from returning to the air, and to conduct thorough screenings of foreign cartoons to avoid the potential spread of LGBT influences. Homosexuality is outlawed in the Muslim-majority nation, and sodomy can be punished with imprisonment and corporal punishment, although enforcement is rare. Malaysias 1984 Printing Presses and Publications Act, meanwhile, bans depictions of LGBTQ+ relationships in film, TV, and print media, and is commonly invoked to justify instances of state-sponsored censorship.As Scoop notes, Santiago of the Seas, which aired for two seasons on Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. in the U.S. from 2020 to 2023, was partly produced in Malaysia, with much of its animation and CGI work completed by Malaysian studio Lemon Sky Studios.The series, which was nominated for a Childrens and Family Emmy Award in 2022, was removed from Nickelodeon parent company Paramounts streaming platform, Paramount+, along with several other Nickelodeon original series last year. As Deadline reported at the time, the company said the move was part of a strategic decision to focus on content with mass global appeal.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.