Sajat is still a man in Malaysia - Ahmad Marzuk

PUTRAJAYA: Genderwise 'Sajat' or Muhammad Sajjad Kamaruz Zaman is still a male, as stated on his identity card (IC), says Deputy Minister in the Prime Ministers' Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Ahmad Marzuk Shaary.

He said, in Malaysia, the gender of every individual is based on the information stated on the IC.

"His gender is what is stated in the IC (issued) in our country and that is what we use.

"The identity card is a valid document in this country to determine his (Sajat's) gender whichever country or place he chooses to determine his gender, we do not interfere," he said to reporters after launching a book titled 'Manual Komuniti Hijrah' (Lesbians and Gays) here today.

Yesterday, the media reported that Muhammad Sajjad shared a post on his Instagram saying that he had legally changed his gender status to a woman in Australia.

He is being pursued by authorities in Malaysia after an arrest warrant was issued following his failure to appear in court to face charges for dressing as a woman at the Shah Alam Syariah High Court.

In June last year, police sought Sajat to help in an investigation into a fraud case involving a change of identity card information at the Ampang Jaya Court.

On the High Court decision lifting the ban on the distribution of controversial book 'Gay is OK! A Christian Perspective' in the country yesterday, Ahmad Marzuk said he hoped the Home Ministry would appeal the decision so that it does not outrage the Muslims.

"LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) and the book should not be an agenda to be normalised in our country, it is not suitable in Malaysia and around the world," he said.

According to media reports, the publisher and author of Gay is OK! A Christian Perspective succeeded in their application to overturn the Home Minister's order banning the book in 2020.

High Court Judge Datuk Noorin Badaruddin allowed a judicial review filed by the book's publisher Chong Ton Sin and its author Ngeo Boon Lin, respectively yesterday.

-- BERNAMA