Kelantan Syariah Court Registers First Case Involving Alleged Gender Change

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 4: The Kelantan Syariah Court has handled its first case involving an alleged gender change since the enforcement of the Syariah Criminal Code (I) 2019, which came into effect after being gazetted in 2020.

According to a source from the Kelantan Islamic Religious Affairs Department, the case arose following an enforcement operation conducted during an event involving a group of transgender individuals. The individual concerned was subsequently detained and charged under Syariah law, as reported by Sinar Harian.

“Following the operation, prosecution was initiated against the suspect at the Kelantan Syariah Court on allegations of undergoing a gender change,” the source said on Wednesday.

The source added that the case is currently at the case management stage after the accused entered a plea of not guilty. It is believed that the individual underwent the gender change sometime in the middle of last year.

The charge was filed under Section 18 of the Syariah Criminal Code (I) 2019, which addresses offenses related to changing one’s own gender or that of another person. Upon conviction, the offense carries a penalty of a fine of up to RM3,000, imprisonment of up to two years, or both.

Meanwhile, Kelantan Islamic Development, Da’wah, Information, and Public Relations Committee chairman Mohd. Asri Mat Daud said details of the case could not be disclosed publicly at this stage.

“I do not have complete information, and there are matters that cannot be made public. In this situation, we must safeguard all parties involved,” he said.

The case marks a significant development in the application of the Syariah Criminal Code (I) 2019 in Kelantan, with further proceedings expected once case management is completed.