Transgender in Malaysia

Abstract

This study analyzes the challenges and future of transgender issues in Malaysia as well as the views of Islam and Science to find solutions in addressing this issue. Transgender is a sense of personal identity and gender that contradict birth sex, with or without genital conversion. Unlike sexual orientation, transgender people are not necessarily homosexual but may bisexual or heterosexual. Many factors have contributed to these situations and there is also a dispute over the issue. In Malaysia, Islam and Christianity banned sex conversion meanwhile other religions accepted it. This study applies a qualitative measure through primary and secondary sources and found out that the challenges and the future of transgender are an important agenda of finding the solutions. The problem is studied from the perspective of employment, health, family, religion, self-identity, and community structure. However, human rights, psychological health and the unclear Malaysian law are challenges in addressing this issue. From the Science point, there are still many debates and ambiguities in research to prove transgender. While from the point of Islam that serves as a guide to life, these groups alter Allah's creation which is forbidden in Islam. Therefore, this study feels that this issue needs to be addressed and solved promptly. Improvements to existing laws without neglecting a humanitarian recovery are one of the earliest possible actions.