Fatimah (seated centre), flanked by Rosey (right) and Harden, and members of OSTPC at the press conference.
KUCHING: The Ministry of Welfare, Community Well-Being, Women, Family and Childhood Development will not discriminate against transgender people who need assistance or support in terms of education and skills.
Its minister Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah said even though transgenders often faced discrimination due to their appearance and behaviour, they should not be denied the rights to education.
“If they apply to enroll for a course organised by us, we will let them join the course. We have organised skills courses before and there were transgender people who signed up and we didn’t mind.
“In fact, in a previous sewing course we organised, they actually emerged as the best students,” she said when asked to comment on transgender issues at a press conference held after chairing the One-Stop Teenage Pregnancy Committee (OSTPC) meeting at a leading hotel here yesterday.
She said when it came to education and gaining skills, there should not be any discrimination regardless of what gender the person was.
“As an educationist, I believe that the rights to education should be given to everyone. No one should deny them of this right.”
Issues regarding Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) have triggered a heated debate in the country of late following Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa’s recent statements regarding LGBT.
One of his statements sparked strong criticism when he pointed out that transgenders faced several types of discrimination including the use of public toilets, and was quoted as saying by a portal, “Does it bother you, if she (transgender activist Nisha Ayub) goes to the female toilet because she looks like a female?”
He has since clarified that he did not give permission for transgenders to use female toilets but more of a ‘maybe’ or ‘if’ situations or circumstances.
Fatimah refused to comment further on this, describing it as outside the jurisdiction of her ministry.
“Many issues have cropped up in regards to LGBT including the use of which public toilets to use. I think it’s best to just let those who manage our public toilets to handle the matter,” she said.
Nevertheless, she pointed out that LGBT particularly transgenders, have long existed in Sarawak.
“So far in Sarawak, there is no issue with LGBT. I believe we do have transgender people and a lot of them have
migrated to Peninsular Malaysia because the number of their people there are bigger and they get support from one another there.”
Assistant Minister of Women, Family and Childhood Development Rosey Yunus and Assistant Minister of Community Well-Being Datuk Francis Harden Hollis were also present at the press conference.