Mujahid: Stop discriminating against transgender people

Following a meeting with transgender activist Nisha Ayub, de facto religious affairs minister Mujahid Yusof Rawa has pleaded to the public to stop discriminating against transgender people.

“If the public continues to label them, judge them and worse, discriminate against them, that’s (why) you have that very scary statistic whereby 80 percent of transgender people are involved in sex work.

“So, we are not helping. I urge the public - please help to not to discriminate against them.

“Give them the chance, they are ordinary citizens and they want to contribute (and) be just like anyone of us here - to have equal access to health, education and even (houses of) worship and public places,” he told a press conference flanked by his deputy Fuziah Salleh and Nisha at the Kompleks Islam in Putrajaya this evening.

Nisha applauded the meet and said this was the first time a minister had engaged her in public.

“I am asking all the public to stop stereotyping transgender people. We are not a harm to anyone ... we just want to be treated with respect and dignity,” she said, getting emotional as she spoke.

Stressing that he only wanted to discuss the transgender community’s issues and not lesbian, gay or bisexual people, Mujahid said the former was most marginalised due to their visibility by virtue of their physical appearance.

Asked if a such a call would encourage more people to become transgender, he urged critics to face the reality that such people already lived in society.

“Transgender people are a reality we can’t avoid. Because we can’t avoid it, let us live with (them) in a context where they are given justice, that is all.

“Transgender people have never asked for same-sex marriage, they just want to live in peace. I have been very consistent in saying you can’t hurt fellow Malaysians without reason just because they are different from you,” he answered.

Next, Mujahid said he will engage the Health, and Women and Family Development ministries to discuss measures to combat discrimination against the transgender community.

Don’t call people ‘animals’

Asked to comment on Penang mufti Wan Salim Wan Mohd Noor’s recent statement equating LGBT rights to “animal rights” and not human rights, the minister appeared to disagree.

“That is the mufti’s personal (statement).

“(But I) don’t agree when you say someone is like an animal, definitely. You won’t say someone is like an animal,” he said.

“I think what he meant was the more radical sort of (LGBT-rights like) same-sex marriage,” he said when pressed afterwards.

Tonight’s meeting follows outcry over how Nisha’s portrait at an exhibition in Penang was ordered to be removed by Mujahid’s department.

Today, he said he stood by his earlier decision, contending that it was to “protect” the transgender community against backlash.

“I am taking that stance in order to protect the safety of these people who (have faced) backlash.

“She (Nisha) has faced death threats, imagine if (the portrait) were to be there for one month. Imagine what will happen,” he told the same press conference.

Nisha had earlier said she had received death threats as a result of this issue involving her portrait being part of the exhibition. -Mkini