It’s illegal to be a transgender person in Malaysia.
But that hasn’t stopped Hazreen Shaik Daud from fighting for greater rights for her community.
She has has become the first transgender person to work in national assembly and will oversea the countries first committee for transgender welfare.
Today she is off to work in her new job as a political secretary to Teh Yee Cheu, a state assemblyman.
“I was working with him at several programs before, 4 years ago. And then he approached me to become the political secretary. At the beginning I was a bit nervous to accept this position, and then I take it as a challenge for my transgender group and other marginalized groups. Maybe I can help people.”
It’s illegal to be a gay or a transgender in Malaysia.
Transgender individuals can be arrested under civil laws governing public indecency.
And if they are Muslim, they can be charged under Sharia Laws for "impersonating" women.
The punishments include fines and prison sentences of up to twenty years.
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Currently there are no other transgender people working in any level of Malaysia’s political system.
Angela Kuga Thas is an LGBT rights activist.
“Under civil there’s section 377, criminalizing the act of sodomy and this could be used against homosexuals. Under shariah law it targets sodomy and lesbianism as well as the identity of transpeople. If they are perceived as male and dressed as female, impersonating or posing they can be arrested without doing any kind of immoral act or any kind of wrong in terms of the law.”
Last year an anti-LGBT rally was held at a local university campus in the city, about 1000 people attended.
Radzi Daud is the chairperson of Network of Malaysian NGOs.
“I want everyone to know, we push this activities for a reason. On what we know this is the teachings of social sex. These people and the people who support it are crazy.”
Azamudin Hamzah, President of the Institute of Innovation Malaysia was there.
“Let us get rid of LGBTs. There is no space; there is no place for people who are westernized and evil. No lesbians, no gay, no bisexuals, no transsexuals.”
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Views like these that have made it hard for people like Hazreen to get by.
“It seems like people look at transgender as cannot work, their mindset is that a transgender is a sex worker, and some companies cannot accept us because of toilet issues. Some of the issues are because they are scared you cannot maintain your job longer, because people might talk about you and you resign.”
Hazreen hopes to change this.
“I only hope the community and the public can accept us, tolerance, that’s enough. Equal by others. It’s not more than that. No need to give special things for us. Equality.”
