KUALA LUMPUR, May 13 ― The youth wing of Kelantan Parti Amanah Negara has urged its state government to issue summons against cosmetics queen Nur Sajat Kamaruzzaman, simply for attending the Mood Republic fashion and beauty festival in Kota Baru recently.
The ruling Islamist party wing’s vice-chief Mohd Romizu Mohd Ali was quoted in Sinar Harian accusing Nur Sajat of “cross-dressing”, which is a Shariah offence in Kelantan.
“Before this I often see Kelantan’s PAS government vehemently condemning LGBT, but no actions are taken when it comes to Nur Sajat,” he said in reference to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community (LGBT).
He said the state government seems to be supporting LGBT if it continued to be silent on the matter, adding that action should also be taken against the organisers.
“I want to ask, where is the Islamic administrative pattern championed before? Is it for the sake of gaining power then only Islam is brought up?” he asked.
Several states including Kelantan enact laws criminalising “men wearing women’s clothes or behaving like women” as Shariah offences, which are then used by religious authorities to persecute the transgender community.
Nur Sajat continues to be hounded by authorities and some in the public over her gender, as she was accused to be a transwoman.
The Malaysian Islamic Development Department’s (Jakim) has previously insisted that Nur Sajat needed to undergo a lengthy process in order for authorities to officially verify her gender.
