A group of Malaysians are hesitant about going to the polls this year – because it is too dangerous for them. “To be honest, even I myself previously didn’t want to vote,” said Nisha Ayub, a prominent transgender rights activist, when asked about her voting experience in the general elections. “That is not because I don’t know my rights, it’s that I just don’t want to go through the process. You have to queue and to give your IC (identity card). All things about the IC are a problem to us,” she explained.
For most voters, it is standard procedure to show their identity cards (ICs) at the polling station. However, it is a huge barrier for the transgender community.
“Being transgender, your IC doesn’t reflect who you are,” said Nisha, adding that this made transgender persons reluctant to exercise their voting rights.
“They feel that it is not an environment that is safe for them to go out to vote. ”
Full Article: Transgender voters face dreaded path to the ballot box.