Malacca Religious Affairs Department (Jaim) enforcement officers have allegedly beaten a transsexual so bad that she had to be sent to a hospital for an operation, said a social worker.

Pink Triangle social worker Nisha, 28, told malaysiakini that three Jaim officers had punched and stepped transsexual Ayu, 44, last night and aggravated her abdominal hernia condition.

"Ayu is now in Malacca General Hospital for the operation which was originally due in September.

"This is too much. It was three officers against one person. You can't beat a person up when you're arresting them," Nisha said when contacted.

According to the social worker, whose real name is Mohd Noor Ayub, Jaim has been beating up transsexuals all these while.

"They have been doing this for a long time. They whack the adik-adik first, then make an arrest and say they are from Jaim," he said.

Nisha revealed that she took photos of Ayu's condition as proof but is skeptical about lodging a police report.

"I know other transsexuals have made police reports one to two years ago but nothing has been done," she explained.

She also pointed out that the religious officers failed to adhere to procedures by not taking Ayu to a police station after she was arrested.

Instead, she said, Ayu was detained in the Jaim office and later brought to the hospital.

Not true, says Jaim

According to a Jaim official, the offence of 'men dressing up as women in a public space' under Section 72 of the Malacca Syariah Offences Enactment is punishable with a RM1,000 fine, a six month jail sentence or both.

"The procedure is to arrest the offender, take her to a police station and Jaim would then hold the offender in custody for 24 hours before she is produced before the Syariah Court," the official said.

Jaim enforcement chief Rahimin Bani when contacted denied the assault claims and said Ayu was sent to hospital because "she was sick".

"That's not true. We sent the person to the hospital because she was sick. We did not beat that person on the head or anywhere," he said.

He then countered Nisha's allegation by asking her to produce the photos and to make a police report.

Nisha, who is currently following Ayu's development in the hospital, said the hospital authorities have been informed by Jaim officials to note down names of other transsexuals visiting Ayu.

"The hospital authorities said the adik-adik have to write to their names down before they can go in (the ward where Ayu is).

"I asked them why and they said Jaim asked them to do it. How can this be? This is not right." he added.

There are estimated 20,000 to 30,000 transsexuals in Malaysia.