Like being born again: Nur Sajat officially a woman in Australia

KUALA LUMPUR – Local entrepreneur Nur Sajat, who was recently granted asylum status in Australia, has officially changed her gender to be recognised as a woman in the oceanic country.

The 35-year-old made the revelation through a live session broadcasted on her official Instagram social media platform earlier today, expressing her happiness at being recognised as a woman and how effortless the process was.

“I am very happy all these have been completed. I changed my gender. I am comfortable being a woman. I appreciate how this country understands my situation, and I now feel liberated,” she was quoted as saying by Malay daily Kosmo! during the broadcast.

“I can be myself; I am proud of being a woman. It feels like being born again, and this is what I wanted. I wanted people to accept me,” she said during the live session. 

When asked by viewers if she intends to change her name, she explained that she would stick with Nur Sajat for now.

In October last year, Sajat was granted asylum status by Australia following alleged persecution by Malaysian authorities over her gender status.

The entrepreneur, who is wanted by local enforcement agencies and religious authorities for allegedly donning women’s clothes when performing umrah in Mecca, had fled Malaysia in September to escape prosecution.

Later that month, she was arrested by Thai authorities for allegedly travelling on an unrecognised passport before finally fleeing to Australia.

Sajat, in several videos following her arrival in Australia, had alleged being subjected to mistreatment and harassment by religious authorities in Malaysia sometime in 2018, when they came after her for wearing women’s clothing at another event.

The entrepreneur had also claimed she was invited to speak on the famed Ellen DeGeneres talk show in the United States last month, but has yet to make the cameo.

In late November, the Kuala Lumpur High Court granted a writ of seizure to OWA Resources Sdn Bhd against Sajat’s properties after she had apparently failed to pay some RM200,000 in damages to the company.

Earlier this month, police had revealed that Sajat is being sought to assist a probe into alleged fraud involving a change of identity card information. – The Vibes, February 22, 2022