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According to Bukit Aman CID director Abd Jalil Hassan, while the police have not received any formal confirmation about Nur Sajat current whereabouts, they are aware that she is now in Australia.
“Formally we still have not received confirmation that Nur Sajat is in Australia, however, we can see (that) based on recent social media postings. Officially, we have not received the confirmation from our embassies,” The Star quoted Jalil as saying while he was speaking at a press conference in the federal police headquarters in Bukit Aman, Kuala Lumpur yesterday, 3 November.
He said that the Malaysian High Commission in Australia and the Malaysian Embassy in Thailand have officially written to the Australian government on the matter and are waiting for their reply.
Malaysiakini reported Jalil as saying that Bukit Aman will seek Australian authorities’ assistance to extradite Sajat, but the matter is up to Australia whether the country wants to extradite her.
“We will try to get their assistance, according to the rules and laws in Australia. However, it is up to Australia’s sovereign rights,” the news portal quoted him as saying.
He said that police are checking with the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (JAIS).
“We are still seeking verification from the religious department whether the wrongdoings as alleged by the person (Sajat) against its officers happened,” Jalil told reporters.
In an interview with the New York Times last month, Sajat alleged that she was assaulted and molested by religious officers during an incident that took place at the JAIS office in January this year.
According to her, at least three men kicked, pinned her down, and groped her breasts.
Sajat’s mother reportedly witnessed the assault and confronted one officer asking how pious Muslims could do something like this, to which, the officer responded that “Sajat was a man so it was OK”.
“They think it is justified to touch my private part and my breasts because they perceive me as a male person. They didn’t treat me with any compassion or humanity,” Sajat told the international publication.
She has been on the receiving end of cyberbullying and death threats.
Her plight as a transperson has often been reported by international media.
On 6 January this year, Sajat was charged under Section 10(a) of the Syariah Criminal Offences Enactment (Selangor) 1995 as her act of cross-dressing is said to have brought contempt to Islam.
When she failed to show up during the mention of the case on 23 February, the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (JAIS) mobilised about 122 personnel to find and arrest Sajat, reported Malay Mail.
“What else do we want? We want freedom. So, human rights here, it is very important. They (Australia) really prioritise human rights. I don’t want anything, I just want human rights,” she said.
Sajat added that she is “now happy and free”.
“Now that I’m free, I can carry on with my life. Money can be earned but happiness can’t be bought. For me, I’m happy being in a country that accepts (me for) who I am, and that’s what I really want,” she said, adding that she wasn’t happy in Malaysia and chose to leave because she still has respect.
“I just want to find freedom, that’s all,” Sajat was quoted as saying by Malaysiakini.
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