KUALA LUMPUR, March 24 ― For some time now, Malaysian trans woman Serafina has been living the life of a fugitive ― lugging her suitcase from one hotel to another and moving every few months.

As her family has disowned her, Serafina, who has been a sex worker since the age of 15, has no other choice but to move constantly to evade capture by the local religious authorities.

“My family disowned me because I embarrassed them. They can’t accept me. I miss them so much,” a tearful Serafina told UK broadcaster Channel 4 in a documentary released Tuesday.

In her emotional story, Serafina offers viewers a glimpse into the lives of Malaysia’s transgenders, described as one of the country’s most heavily persecuted communities.

“It’s hard to survive here,” she said in the documentary titled, “The trans woman taking on the state” aired under Channel 4’s “Unreported World” segment.

The trans woman taking on the state

Shunned by her family, forced into sex work, persecuted by the religious police – but not defeated. Meet Serafina, the woman who’s become the face of resistance against the Islamic authorities for Malaysia’s transgender community (via Unreported World).

Posted by Channel 4 News on Monday, March 21, 2016

Serafina, who was one of the transgenders who had challenged in court a Negri Sembilan Shariah law that prohibits cross-dressing, also claimed that the religious police once felt her up and pulled up her top during an arrest.

Channel 4 noted that few employment opportunities in predominantly Muslim Malaysia have forced trans women into prostitution where they sometimes encounter violent clients.

Serafina told the broadcaster that in one experience, she had her head bashed against the wall.

According to Channel 4, Serafina is torn between launching a new appeal in the transgender case ― which the trans women had lost at the Federal Court that overturned a lower court’s landmark decision that had declared the Negri Sembilan Shariah law as unconstitutional ― and leaving Malaysia.

“I want to be accepted and find a partner in life, in a new community that will accept me as transgender,” she said.

In another video, Channel 4 reported that 200 Malaysian trans women have travelled to a Thai holiday resort, where they participated in a beauty pageant that has plastic surgery prizes. The transgenders were quoted saying that there was more acceptance of the community in Thailand than in Malaysia.

“In Malaysia, they don’t accept us as trans,” a trans woman said.

The UK broadcaster also showed a cabaret show in Malaysia, an underground scene on private property that Channel 4 said provides sanctuary for trans women.

One of Malaysia’s top trans cabaret stars called Walla, who is also a Muslim, told Channel 4 that life, however, was still difficult in Malaysia.

“I’m happy with myself, but the only thing I’m not happy with is our government,” she said.

Channel 4 produced a documentary last week titled “Muslim, trans and banned”, in which journalist Marcel Theroux joined religious officers on a khalwat (close proximity) raid and went on to a red light district, where they said transgenders could be arrested on the streets for not behaving and dressing according to their gender.