Transgenderism in malaysia

This is a study of gender as a variable that distinguishes men from women in the context of Malaysia. This study investigates whether a change of gender is acceptable by Malaysian society. This study also determines the transgender issues in Malaysia from the perspective of Islam, as well of the transgender community. It investigates the factors that influence one to change gender or sex, and also describes the constraints faced by transgender individuals in the religious, legal and social spheres. The data was primarily obtained from students from Faculty of Science, University Malaya, Kuala Lumpur using questionnaire survey. While interview sessions with the Islamic religious expert, and transgender community are also included in this study. The main findings showed that transgender individuals claim that they are born with the nature to become who they are, and they are barely accepted by Malaysian society. This is due to the existence of two systems of belief in most Malaysians: religious and scientific. The strong religious belief system in most people does not encourage, in fact does not allow transgenderism or transsexualism. This is because transgenderism or transsexualism is an abomination in God’s eyes, and feels that it is conflicting, offensive, a sickness and a sin that is worthy of public humiliation and abandonment by loved ones.