July 10, 2015 – Reported by the International Business Times – The Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender community in Malaysia cried foul after hate crimes escalated against the group. Transgenders pointed fingers at religious agencies which are exerting effort by organising “moral policing” to subjugate the minority.

Malaysia is a Southeast Asian country composed of multiple ethnicities. Due to the fact that Islam is the widely practiced religion, the country also operates under the Sharia Law.  Sharia Law is a legal system derived from Islamic edicts coming from the Quran, Islam’s holy book; the Hadith, accounts or narratives from the prophet Mohammad; and fatāwā or judgment of Islam academics.

Due to harsh interpretations of Sharia, the marginalised often suffer. In this case, the LGBT community, transgenders in particular, receive the brunt of severe punishments from edicts of the government. In each Malaysian State exists a religious department tasked with enforcing the Sharia Law. In recent years, these departments have been known to conduct raids in residences to catch violators…story continues below…

via Malaysian LGBT Community Suffers More Persecution In Recent Years.