PUTRAJAYA — Activists are increasingly worried for the safety of the transgender community following the case of a 32-year-old transgender woman beaten to death recently and have urged the government to step up protection of them.

Last week, the victim was beaten and left for dead outside a hotel in Klang, Selangor, after she was accused of stealing a handphone.

Transgender activist Nisha Ayub said Putrajaya must no longer remain silent and blind to the plight of the community and must mete out severe punishment against the perpetrators.

“The government cannot deny the existence of hate crime in Malaysia,” she told The Malaysian Insight.

Transgender rights group Justice for Sisters have documented 12 cases of physical attacks, humiliation, and torture against trans people between 2017 and 2018.

These attacks are done by vigilante groups disguised as community police or residential groups, said the group in their report.

Ms Nisha said the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community was the most affected by hate crimes as they are ostracised by many in the society.

“And of these, the most affected is the transgender people because of our visibility. Also physically, we do look different.

“This especially makes us a vulnerable group to be targeted by hate speech or hate crime,” she said

She added that the people’s lack of understanding played a major role in them shunning or worse, attacking, transgender people.

Activists have long been calling on the government to introduce laws to counter hate speech and hate crime, she said.

“The law should not be exclusive to transgenders but for all people of different races and colour.”  

Stereotyping and degrading comments by politicians and certain religious bodies have discouraged transgender people from coming forward and reporting hate crimes for fear of backlash and further persecution, she said.

“This will cause a very unsafe environment… all these kinds of hatred encourage people to react violently toward trans people.”  

Legal director at Fortify Rights, Mr Eric Paulsen, meanwhile said hate crime legislation would hold perpetrators of these heinous acts accountable and protect the rights of the LGBT in Malaysia.

“It will reduce the climate of hate and intolerance against them,” said Mr Paulsen.

“Parliament should seriously look into enacting hate crime legislation so the authorities can take concrete action to protect and promote rights based on race, ethnicity, religion, and sexual orientation and gender identity.”

He said that the perpetrators of the murder of the 32-year-old trans woman “must be swiftly brought to justice before further acts of brutality take place”.

Police have detained four youths aged from 16 to 21 in relation to the case. THE MALAYSIAN INSIGHT