OFTEN enough in life, there is no way one can expect to have the best of everything.
As in the case of transgender entrepreneur Nur Sajat Kamaruzzaman whose business is thriving in Down Under, one really wonders if the reluctance of the Malaysian authorities to alter her gender status to “woman” from “man” would have any impact on “the re-born” 36 year-old.
As her identity card bears the name “Muhammad Sajjad Kamaruz Zaman” and she is recognised as a “male”, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (religious affairs) Datuk Ahmad Marzuk Shaary said Sajat will remain a “man” in Malaysia.
“(The identity card) is a valid document to determine Sajat’s gender and we don’t interfere if Sajat has chosen another country or world to determine her gender,” he was quoted by Bernama as saying after launching a book entitled Manual Komuniti Hijrah (Lesbian dan Gay) yesterday (Feb 23).
In a recent Instagram Live post, Sajat said she was very pleased because the process of changing her gender status in her new adopted country went on smoothly and without any hassle.
“I am happy that everything has is settled. I have changed my ‘gender’. I feel comfortable being a woman. I appreciate this because this country understands my situation and I feel very free now,” she was quoted as saying by the Malay tabloid Kosmo!
“I can become myself, I am proud to be a woman. Feel like reborn, this is what I want. I want others to accept me.”
Asked by her followers if she would change her name as well, the famed cosmetic entrepreneur who had courted countless controversies in her motherland said she would continue to use the same name.
Recall that Sajat became a fugitive after failing to attend a Syariah Court proceeding where she was charged under Section 10(a) of the Syariah Crimes (State of Selangor) Enactment 1995. This law involves insulting Islam or causing Islam to be insulted.
Her crime was allegedly committed during a religious event on Feb 23, 2021 at her business premises in Shah Alam, Selangor.
It was previously reported that Sajat had applied for refugee status at the office of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) in Bangkok and was preparing to move to Australia even as Malaysia deliberated on her extradition.
She was ultimately granted permanent residence in Australia, the country in which she is currently making strides to rebuild her life and her business – Nursajat Legacy Cosmetic Australia.
The fact that the transgender businesswoman has no intention to ever step foot in her homeland is further fortified by her decision to dispose of her prized bungalow in Jalan Polo, Kota Damansara for RM9.5 mil.
Property agent Nadhia who is entrusted to manage the sale of the house on Sajat’s behalf told the mStar news portal recently that the latter decided to part company with his property as she harbours no intention of returning to Malaysia. – Feb 24, 2022
