Transgender Issues In Malaysia Essay

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In contrast to our neighbours such as the Philippines and Thailand, Malaysia has yet to see any development towards transgender communal recognition. The term transgender in itself is a new term referring to a person who does not conform to the identity he or she was born with. This term challenges the traditional gender binary as it allows people with Gender Identity Disorder (GID) to opt for something in between rather than having their sex set in stone for them. Because of this dissimilar output in life, transgender individuals have difficulty in many aspects of their daily lives, as they are continuously challenged against a number of hardships and obstacles. Those obstacles include marginalization from Malaysian citizens, shunned by some …show more content…

Islam is particularly influential because over 60% of the population are Muslims. More than that, Islam is also the state religion of Malaysia, and Sharia Laws are enacted alongside Civil Laws. Unlike some more liberal countries, the Sharia Laws here are strict as they regulate many aspects of a Muslim’s daily life, including diet habits, and sexual orientation. While there are diverse responses towards transgender people in the religion itself, the Muslims in Malaysia generally view it negatively. The concept of changing one’s sex, as well as practicing homosexuality is being viewed as being against the intentions of the creator (Owoyemi 104). One of the perceptions regarding transgender is that the transgender people value their own personal freedom above God’s decision by expressing their gender identity that differs from the gender they are born with (Owoyemi 105). Malaysia is a religious country where the people’s life and perceptions are heavily influenced by religious teachings. For that reason, transgender Muslims are often torn between their struggle for gender identity and their religion. To continue being Muslims, they are often forced to convert back into their gender assigned at

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