Tanjung Bungah assemblyperson Teh Yee Cheu has lamented the lack of support from Penang lawmakers over the setting up of a transgender committee.

Teh, from DAP, said he was tasked as an unofficial chairperson to head the committee and prepare its terms of reference (TOR) and find a suitable name for the committee, in a November meeting last year.

That meeting was attended by about 10 assemblypersons, including several Umno representatives and state executive council member for women, Chong Eng.

However, when he tried to organise a meeting in January to discuss the TOR and name, many of the reps did not turn up.

Today's meeting ( left ) was only attended by a handful - DAP's Pulau Tikus assemblyperson Yap Soo Huey, and staff representing Chong Eng and Bukit Bendera MP Zairil Khir Johari.

Other reps who are expected to attend the meeting but did not are state opposition leader Jahara Hamid (BN-Teluk Ayer Tawar), Shariful Azhar Othman (BN-Bertam), Muhamad Yusoff Mohd Noor (BN-Sungai Dua), RSN Rayer (DAP-Seri Delima), and Lee Khai Loon (PKR-Machang Bubok).

He noted that out of 10 who should have showed up, seven could not be present due to various reasons.

"I do not blame them. I hope we can set another meeting (date) when the state assembly sits at the end of the month," Teh said during a press conference.

'We need to find solutions'

"I hope we can really discuss the issue of transgenders in a sincere and genuine manner so that the problems affecting the committee can be addressed in a humane way.

"Due to the controversial nature of the issue, there are certainly differences of opinion on the issue but we need to express them in a transparent manner to find a solution," he stressed.

He reiterated that the committee cannot stand on its own but needs to operate under the state executive council headed by Chong Eng, but he has yet to obtain a commitment on the matter.

"Without an official position and proper resources, we will not be able to carry out our tasks," Teh said.

Teh had raised the issue of transgenders who face daily discrimination and violence, including arrests, imprisonment, sexual harassment, and assault.

Together with several NGOs, he has prepared a detailed TOR, having worked on it since 2010, but there has yet to be any feedback from the state assembly reps on the proposal.

When he raised the topic in the state assembly in 2013, his proposal to form a committee to address the discrimination and violence faced by transgenders in prisons, hospitals, and public toilets, received support from other assemblypersons, including those from Umno.

The press conference included a video and power-point presentation on the plight of the transgender community.

'A human rights issue'

Yap said the issue is controversial and that it is not surprising that it is difficult for the state government to make a stand on it, although it was widelydiscussed in the state assembly.

"To be fair, when the matter was raised in the state assembly, what was discussed was the problem of safety for transgender in prisons, hospitals, and public toilets.

"I cannot speak for others but many assemblypersons accept that the state will look into this issue because they see it as a human rights issue.

"But the state can only take baby steps, and cannot be expected to do anything groundbreaking at the moment due to the controversial nature of the issue.

"This is because whatever concerns raised with regards to the issue from those in government are the same concerns of the public," she said.

In response to a query about PAS' participation, Teh said that the party's sole assemblyman Salleh Man will consult his party; Umno reps are also doing the same.

Teh has yet to obtain feedback from them to join the committee, which he proposed to name as 'Gender Equality Affairs Taskforce', dropping the word transgender as several quarters may not be comfortable with it.