Jawi to charge transgender who organised dinner and show
Ira Sophia will be charged for defying religious authorities and encouraging vice.
Lalita Abdullah from transgender rights group SEED Malaysia, was reported by Malay Mail Online as saying the Federal Territories Islamic Department (Jawi) had informed the transgender, Ira Sophia, that she would be charged under Section 9 and Section 35 of the Syariah Criminal Offences (Federal Territories) Act 1997.
Lalita said Ira will have to appear in court on May 5 and that Jawi officers did not specify Ira’s alleged actions, only stating the sections of the law she would be charged under.
Under Section 9 of the Syariah Criminal Offences (Federal Territories) Act, it is an offence for any person to be in contempt of a religious authority or defy their orders expressed by way of a fatwa.
The offence is punishable by a fine of not more than RM3,000, or imprisonment of not more than two years, or both.
Section 35 makes it an offence for anyone to promote or encourage another person to indulge in “any vice.”
It is punishable with a fine of not more than RM5,000, or imprisonment of not more than three years, or both.
Ira was detained after Jawi raided a closed-door dinner event without a warrant or police personnel accompanying them.
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According to lawyer Siti Kassim, who was also picked up by Jawi officers during the raid, the said event was a dinner where transgenders present later participated in a beauty pageant as the contestants. She said the dinner was meant to raise funds for charity.