A majority of the 10,000 transvestites - known in Malay as pondan or mak nyah - in the country are made up of Malays, the Dewan Rakyat heard today.

Women, Family and Community Development Minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil said Malays constituted about 70-80 percent of this group.

In her written parliamentary reply to Fadilah Yusof (BN-Petra Jaya), Shahrizat said her ministry view the increasing number of transvestites seriously.

Fadilah had asked what steps the ministry was taking to curb the increase as this could develop into a negative social culture.

" Pondan or mak nyah are part of society and we view this issue as a complex phenomenon. It should be studied from various aspects such as religion, culture, social, economic and politics," said the minister.

Shunned by family

Shahrizat added that her ministry was currently studying several working papers related to transvestites to further decide on the next course of action to assist this group.

She said many Muslim transvestites were being shunned upon by their families as compared to their non-Muslim counterparts.

She added that securing employment was another obstacle hence forcing them into prostitution.

Another problem plaguing Muslim transvestites was the choice of attire to perform their prayers and most of them feel uncomfortable to pray in a mosque.

Last August, the Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) urged the media to practice balanced, fair and ethical standards of reporting on issues concerning such groups.

The commission said slanted media reports could lead to further persecution of an already vulnerable group.

More recently, the Kuala Lumpur City Hall said that it was considering legalising transvestites to create "healthy entertainment" in the capital.