The Seed Foundation (SEED) said Robiah K Hamzah made “extremely discriminatory comments” about marginalised communities affected by HIV which were unsubstantiated and “downright damaging”.
In a Facebook post, SEED, which is the country’s first trans-led organisation, said Robiah’s comments included “Pergi tengok calon-calon HIV, betapa sengsara mereka melalui kehidupan” (Those who are HIV-positive live a life full of pain and hardship).
Robiah had also said, “Mak Nyah kenapa nak tukar fitrah?” (Why should trans-women “change” themselves), “Siapa nak mandikan kamu bila kamu mati?” (Who will clean you when you die?) and “Mak Nyah mati sebagai lelaki” (Trans-women will die as men, not as women), it claimed.
SEED said the statements were “utterly false” and evidence of Robiah’s complete lack of understanding on the subject.
It asked why Robiah had been invited to the event, and why the health ministry was allowing the degradation of communities that were most in need of support.
“Why is the ministry condoning religious and corrective approaches in their programmes that clearly create more harm and are condemned by international agencies like WHO and the UN?
“Why is the health ministry implying that if transgender people repent, HIV infection rates will decrease when there is absolutely no factual basis for this?”
SEED also hit out at the Malaysian AIDS Council (MAC) for its silence on the issue.
As the biggest HIV/AIDS NGO working with the health ministry, it said, the MAC should be at the forefront of condemning the decision to invite Robiah to speak at the event.
It urged the MAC to investigate the ministry’s actions and ensure that any discrimination against marginalised communities and those living with HIV would not be tolerated.
“Surely we have not forgotten that HIV does not discriminate. The health ministry is responsible for the well-being of all people in this country, regardless of race, religion, gender, sexuality, class or disability.
“Unfortunately, the event, for World AIDS Day no less, shows the utter lack of empathy and understanding from those who are supposed to be the leaders in fighting HIV in this country,” it said.