Just one little life far, far away

(4 pm. – promoted by ek hornbeck)

Aleesha Farhana.  That’s the name she wanted.  And she wanted to have her legal gender changed after undergoing a sex change operation in Thailand.  

Malaysia’s National Registration Department refused to update the name and gender on her identity card.  The court ruled that she must remain Ashraf Hafiz Abdul Aziz.

Today we learn that Aleesha Farhana, nee Ashraf Hafiz Abdul Aziz, died today at the age of 25.  She entered Hospital Sultanah Nur Zahirah in Kuala Terengganu after experiencing chest pains and low blood pressure.  She was diagnosed with angina and cardiogenic shock.

We were concerned about his wellbeing. My ministry is welfare-oriented and we are non-judgemental.

We try to understand and counsel anyone who needs our help, especially people who feel desperate like in the case of Ashraf, but for him, it is too late now.

–Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, Minister for Women, Family and Community Development

Nonjudgmental?  Even now, you are referring to her as “him”.

[She was] a 25-year-old former pharmaceutical assistant, was born with an abnormally small penis and underwent a full sex-change operation in neighboring Thailand in 2008.

—Horley Isaacs, her lawyer

According to her mother, right from when she was a child her characteristics were feminine. She was all prim and proper.

There was a vigil scheduled for 8pm Saturday Malaysian time by Seksualiti Merdeka, a Malay LGBTQI community group.

Local blogging about the case can be found here.