Transsexuals who have undergone sex reassignment operations want the government to allow them to have their new status reflected in their national registration identity cards, popularly known as the MyKad.

During a session at the 31st International Conference on Social Welfare in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday, two non-Muslim mak nyah (a Malaysian colloquial term for transsexuals) who had their sex surgically changed from male to female, related their difficulties due to the official non-acknowledgment of their new biological sexual identity.

The duo told the conference participants that several attempts to get their sex changed from male to female in their identity cards were not successful and this in turn had made their daily interactions in the private and public sectors difficult.

This included dealings with the government's immigration and road transport departments and difficulties or impossibilities in purchasing health insurance, housing and bank loans or in legally adopting children.

"When I went to the Road Transport Department to renew my driving licence, and to a bank for a financial matter, they refused to deal with me as my appearance is female but my ID says I am a male," said Rina, an Indian-Malaysian mak nyah in her 20s.

Rina underwent her sex reassignment operation in Bangkok three years ago. Muslim mak nyah in Malaysia are barred by religious law from undergoing similar operations.

A Chinese transsexual, who only wanted to be identified as EE ( photos ), in her 30s, also related how she encountered similar problems as Rina.

In an interview with malaysiakini , she said that apart from bureaucratic walls, she was also turned away when she wanted to donate her blood at a hospital.

"I don't understand. Why? I wanted to donate my blood to help people. Why was I not allowed to?" asked EE, who underwent her operation five years ago.

Both Rina and EE also pointed out the fact that they are discriminated against by government agencies whenever they approach the latter for help.

"They look down on me and say that I should follow what is recorded on my identity card. I am not against the government ... I just want to be treated fairly," said an exasperated Rina.

Complicated issue

Women, Family and Community Development Ministry parliamentary secretary Chew Mei Fun, when contacted by malaysiakini , said the ministry was aware and concerned about the transsexuals issue.

However, she refused to elaborate further saying that the issue was complicated and needed proper studies. The government has previously revealed that there are about 10,000 mak nyah in the country.

Present as a participant at the conference was Universiti Utara Malaysia lecturer Dr Teh Yik Koon ( photo ) who authored the book The Mak Nyah - Malaysian male to female transsexuals .

In her address, Teh echoed the call by Rina and EE that transsexuals who have gone through a sex reassignment operation be allowed to have their new sex stated on their identity cards.

According to Teh's book, it is the policy of the National Registration Department to only accept a person's sex as recorded on his or her birth certificate, and the department was not flexible on the altering of this information.

However, transsexuals who wish to add a new name (of the opposite sex) to their original names in their identity cards would be allowed to do so provided the first showed medical documentation of their operation.

However, their sex would still be listed as the one recorded on their birth certificates.

The National Registration Department could not be reached for comment today.