Empowering Transgenders in Malaysia Slug: Malaysia transgender Reporter: Clarence Chua Date: 14/11/2012 Intro: The Malaysian High

Court recently dismissed a challenge against the law that bars Muslim men from cross-dressing. This is another severe blow to the rights of transexuals in Malaysia. They are often arrested for wearing womens clothes and hair accessories. The Malaysian Aid Council is working to empower the transgender community by organising a workshop for transgender sex workers. Our correspondent Clarence Chua joins the workshop in Penang. Text: SFX 1: Sound of busy street. Yasmeen is a 37-year-old Malay transgender sex worker in Georgetown, the capital of Penang in northern Malaysia. Yasmeen clip 1 [Female/Malay]//: I fear the police but not as much as the religious authorities. We are Muslims and religion is supreme here. So when a man dresses up as a woman, it contravenes Islamic law. That is the problem we often face when we are arrested by the religious authorities. Ethnic Malays are born Muslims and they are subject to both criminal law and Islamic law. According to Islamic law, which is adhered to in most states in Malaysia, Muslim men are prohibited from cross-dressing. The penalty could be a fine or even a jail sentence. Yasmeen clip 2 [female/Malay]//: The first time I was arrested, I was locked up for a month. The second time, two months and the third time for a year. The fourth time, I jumped bail because I was afraid that they were going to impose a heavy sentence. When we are detained they insult us. They ask us to remove out under garments and take pictures. But Malay Muslims are not the only ones being harassed. Jia Jia is a Chinese transgender sex worker.

Jia clip 1 [female/Mandarin]//: If a new batch of police gets transferred here they wont disturb us. But after some time theyll ask us to provide them free sexual services. Sometimes we are forced to do so. We fear they will come back and harass us. SFX 2: Sound of the speaker addressing an audience. Here at a bar in Georgetown, the Malaysian Aids Council and the Kuala Lumpur Legal Aid Center are organising a workshop to educate sex workers about their basic legal rights. In the evening, the bar is a popular place for many of the sex workers and their customers. Many work in one of the rooms on the first floor above. SFX 3: Sound of footsteps BED UNDER Noor Siha Abdul Wahab works as an outreach worker with the Family Health Development Association in Penang. She takes me upstairs to see their working conditions. SFX 4 Sound of opening door The rooms are very basic. Theres only a small window, a fan and a mattress. The walls are very thin and you can easily hear whats going on in the other rooms. Sehar clip 1 [female/Malay]//: They are forced to work in this profession because they have no other opportunities. We hope that the government will do something, but they also cannot offer them job opportunities. According to their identity cards they are men but they dress up as women. Would you employ them? Pramodini V Nair is a senior lawyer and speaker at the workshop. She explains why its important for transgender sex workers to know their rights. Pramo clip 1 [female/English]//: They are Malaysians. No doubt they have chosen a way of life, but who are we to say this is wrong. What they are doing is not criminal. We want them to know what they are doing is a choice made by them but they should protect themselves while doing so. We are going around all the major cities. We are getting them together with the Malaysian Aids Council and we are letting them know that they do have rights under the law and how they can assert it. Despite the best efforts of activists to protect the transgender community, the odds are stacked heavily against them. But Yasmeen says she will continue to fight her case.

Yasmeen clip 3 [female/Malay]//: I feel that legally I have done nothing wrong. When it comes to religious teachings, I believe I have done nothing wrong either. I only dressed up as a woman. After this workshop, I will discuss my case with the outreach worker to proceed with the case but I want to make sure that I have enough money just in case. I cannot fight it empty handed. Jia Jia however, faces a greater personal challenge. She explains that the Chinese community is less tolerant of her profession and identity. Jia clip 2 [female/mandarin]//: I have many friends who are gays and they too have no idea where to turn to. No one has done this kind of workshop before and now we know where to go to for help. I think for Malay or Indian families, they are able to accept that their child is a transsexual. It is very hard for a Chinese family. Last time my parents would ask why Im not married, while all my classmates have already married. After some time they stopped asking. They gave birth to us, and they know whether their child is male or female. We live far away from them because we dont want to hurt them. This is Clarence Chua in Penang for Asia Calling.