Candlelight vigil held for Aleesha

by Shamin Rajoo

Around 50 people turned for a candelight vigil held in the memory of the late Aleesha Farhana in front of the Bar Council at Lebuh Pasar Besar recently.

The vigil was held to pay tribute to Aleesha, a transexual, who passed away late last week after her application to change her gender to female was rejected by the Terengganu High Court.

“We strongly condemn the high court’s decision to reject Aleesha’s application, which also meant that she would never find the justice that was due to her,” said fellow transsexual Nisha Ayub, who represented Seksualiti Merdeka.

“We want all the laws that criminalize transsexuals to be repealed and that a special committee be set up so that they can better understand our issues,” she further added.

“In memory of Aleesha, we should continue fighting for the rights of the marginalized in this country, be it transsexuals or sex workers,” said Raymond Tai.

Aleesha was reportedly suffering from depression after her application was rejected by the court.