Fridae

Malaysia's Sun Daily reported last Thursday that a proposal to set up a committee to oversee the welfare of 'Mak Nyah' (transgender) people in the northern state of Penang had sparked a debate at the state assembly on July 3.

Democratic Action Party assemblyman Teh Yee Cheu (DAP–Tanjung Bungah)

Democratic Action Party assemblyman Teh Yee Cheu (DAP–Tanjung Bungah) was reported as saying that the welfare of transgenders was not being addressed.

"This should be done to ensure that the state government remains an open government," he added.

Teh is known to be an advocate of the transgender community since 2009. At a forum organised by the Penang Family Health Development Association (Penang FHDA) in 2010, Teh who was also an assemblyman then, highlighted the "plight of the transgender community, the deprivation of their rights, poor access to healthcare, denial of work opportunities, and lack of higher education. His personal interaction with transgender people had spurred him to take up the struggle to highlight these basic human rights issues to the attention of the Penang State Legislative Assembly in May 2010.

State Opposition leader Datuk Jahara Hamid (BN–Telok Ayer Tawar) however questioned the need for such a committee.

"With such a committee, is the state supporting same sex marriage as well?" she was quoted as saying by the Sun.

State Women, Family and Community Development Committee chairman Chong Eng (DAP–Padang Lalang) replied that although this is a sensitive matter for Muslims, nevertheless it will address the rights of a minority group. "They have issues, including which hospital ward they should be treated in, which toilet and which lock-ups," she said.

Chong said the state government needs the Opposition to agree to form a committee to address the needs of the transgender community.

Sexual and Reproductive Health & Rights (SRHR) Forum on
Transgender (TG) Community on 4 July 2010, The forum began with
registration of an overwhelming total of 168 participants. (Part 1 of 10)