The rights of the transgender community has been upheld in a landmark decision that overruled a law in Negeri Sembilan which barred Muslim men from dressing as women.
A three-man panel of judges led by Datuk Mohd Hishamudin Mohd Yunus at the Court of Appeal in Putrajaya delivered the unanimous judgement today, the New Straits Times reported.
The ruling was made in favour of bridal assistants(mak andam) Muhamad Juzaili Mohd Khamis, 26, Shukor Jani, 28, and Wan Fairol Wan Ismail, 30, who challenged Section 66 of the Syariah Criminal (Negri Sembilan) Enactment 1992.
The trio had submitted a medical report from Hospital Kuala Lumpur confirming that they suffered from gender identity disorder (GID).
Hishamudin ruled that men dressed and posed as women due to GID and as such they should not be penalised as it was unconstitutional to do so.
“The Constitution exists so the minority is not subject to tyranny of the majority,” Hishamudin was quoted as saying.
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