THE International Commission of Jurists today condemned the order issued by Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri, the minister in charge of religious affairs, to the Federal Territories Islamic Religious Department to take action against the transgender community.
“This unacceptable transphobic and homophobic attack from a government official highlights the societal prejudices and the lack of legal protections against discrimination faced by transgender persons in Malaysia,” said ICJ commissioner Ambiga Sreenavasan, who is a prominent lawyer. Across the country in 13 states and the federal territories, a “male” who “poses” as a woman or wears the clothing of a “woman” may be subjected to criminal liability under state-level religious enactments. Consensual same-sex sexual relations are criminalised as “unnatural offences” in both secular civil law and religious state-level laws and these “offences” carry heavy penalties in the form of fines, imprisonment and corporal punishment in the form of caning.
The ICJ is also deeply concerned about the minister’s plan to require members of the transgender community to undergo religious conversion therapy. Numerous studies have shown how religious conversion therapy and related practices are causing real harm not only to transgender people, but also to lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals.
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