On April 3, the Federal Territories Islamic Department (Jawi) conducted a raid on a closed-door transgender event. The event’s organiser and a lawyer participant were arrested for allegedly holding a ‘beauty pageant’.

According to a Facebook post of the arrested lawyer, Siti Kasim, the operation was carried out despite no warrant being presented, and the religious officers were also not accompanied by police.

Jawi, while not recognising transgender women’s gender identity, premised the raid on a Federal Territory fatwa which prohibited Muslim women from taking part in beauty pageants, as alleged in Siti Kasim’s Facebook post. This brings into question the contradiction inherent in Jawi’s enforcement activity.

After her release, the organiser was informed that she will be charged under Section 9 (‘Contempt or defiance of religious authorities’) and Section 35 (‘Encouraging vice’) of the Syariah Criminal Offences (Federal Territories) Act 1997. This is inconsistent with the initial reason cited for her arrest.

Instead of immediately releasing the organiser and dropping all charges against her, the authority is pressing forward with two trumped-up charges, in an attempt to cause panic and fear in the transgender community.

Diversity strongly condemns Jawi’s wrongful enforcement. We demand that the authority drop all charges against the organiser. We urge the public to pay closer attention and stand in solidarity with the transgender community, in order to put a stop to such cases of violation of human rights.

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Diversity Malaysia is an NGO focusing on local lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) issues.