The National Registration Department (NRD) has been urged to clear up ambiguities on amendments to identity card particulars by transsexuals who have undergone a sex-change operation.

Universiti Utara Malaysia lecturer Dr Teh Yik Koon , who has done much research on the transsexual community, said this would assist male to female transsexuals to respond accordingly.

She was commenting on a statement by NRD director-general Wan Ibrahim Wan Ahmad that transsexuals must prove they have undergone sex reassignment surgery at a government hospital, before they are allowed to change their name in the identity card.

According to a New Straits Times report last week, Wan Ibrahim said sex reassignment operations done abroad or private hospitals would not be recognised. He also stressed that transsexuals would not be allowed to state their changed gender in the Mykad.

However, Teh said she had spoken to Zoreda Abdual Hamid, assistant director in charge of the NRD identity card section, and was told something else.

"She said that, as long as the transsexuals can get a letter from a government hospital to testify that they have undergone the sex reassignment operation, they will be allowed to have their name changed in the identity card," Teh said.

"As I understand it, the operation need not necessarily be done in a government hospital."

Fatwa ruling

In Malaysia, male to female transsexuals (or mak nyah) were allowed to undergo sex reassignment operation in local hospitals prior to 1983.

However, a fatwa (Islamic edict) endorsed by the Council of Rulers that year prohibited the surgery for Muslims. Muslim doctors were also prohibited from carrying out sex reassignment surgery.

Teh, has, on several occasions, urged the government to allow mak nyah who have undergone the sex reassignment operation to be allowed to amend their gender-related particulars in the identity card.

In a report last week, malaysiakini highlighted the post-surgery problems faced by this community, due to their inability to acknowledge their new biological sexual identity.

Women, Family and Community Development Minister Sharizat Abdul Jalil, asked for comments last week, said she was unsure as to was responsible for the issue as there are many grey areas.