I read with much utter disgust regarding the statement by Immigration director-general Datuk Abdul Rahman Othman regarding the situation of Fatine Bahari. This was his comments; " Rahman said Fatine had not only brought shame on the country by overstaying, but also by marrying Briton Ian Young, 30, in a British civil partnership ceremony in May".
I find this director's statement's rather disrespectful and ignorant because he has touched on Fatin's Civil Marriage, which mind you is legal and recognized by English Laws. He should have refrained from disrespecting civil laws of the UK instead of commenting based on his Malaysian knowledge. He has stepped on English Laws with blatant disregard.
In a nut shell, Fatin has not violated any English laws, her predicament of her photograph is due to the fact that she would have faced issues with our immigration office here in allowing her current photo to be printed on her passport simply because her situation doesn't warrant her civil sympathy and rights in this country. So she had to travel with her passport with her photo that shows her of who she was before and that of which proves her as male. Unlike in the UK, our civil rights hasn't developed to grant her the freedom to live the life of her predicament.
The UK was slow in realizing that her situation gives her no rights and recognition in her motherland unlike the situation in the UK, her fault was just the photograph that didn't reflect her current status as female. She is just a victim of circumstance. What signal are we giving out to the world? we don't grant any civil liberty to transsexuals which forces them to prostitute themselves while here we have Fatine who wants to live her life the way she is and start afresh with her English partner. What wrong has she done? What shame has she done? Is she to remain living here without dignity and civil rights? It's about time some of us get civil enough to respect people for who they are and the lifestyles they choose. We have no right to question people's wish to get married overseas and the lifestyles they choose, every human being has the right to his or her own lifestyle.
