A Malaysian man has launched the country's first legal challenge against Islamic laws banning gay sex, a test case supporters said Wednesday could help combat growing persecution of the LGBT community.

He was charged last year for allegedly attempting to have "intercourse against the order of nature", and several others in the same case have already pleaded guilty and were caned as a punishment.

Critics say the climate is worsening for the gay community in Muslim-majority Malaysia, with several states enacting their own Islamic laws banning gay sex.

But campaigners believe victory in the challenge at Malaysia's top court could help halt the trend of local sharia authorities introducing harsh legislation targeting gay people.

"The case could discourage state overreach in terms of law making," Thilaga Sulathireh, from campaign group LGBTIQ+ Network, told the media.

The immediate impact of a victory would likely be to halt ongoing cases under Islamic law only in Selangor state, where the plaintiff was charged, but campaigners may then bring cases against other states.

The man, who has not been named, is challenging accusations levelled against him in an Islamic court at Malaysia's Federal Court on the grounds they breach the constitution, his lawyer Surendra Ananth told reporters. Read more via Asean Post