Sajat bares all to “Allure” magazine on why Malaysia is afraid of her

Sajat bares all to “Allure” magazine on why Malaysia is afraid of her




CONTROVERSIAL transgender beauty entrepreneur Nur Sajat Kamaruzzaman has opened up to monthly American beauty magazine Allure why the Malaysian Government can ill- afford to turn a blind eye on her – they do not want her to be a role model to the country’s LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) community.

“They don’t want LGBT people and trans women looking up to Sajat and saying, ‘Well, geez, I can also do that kind of thing. I can also be successful. I can be who I am and I can live my dreams,’” she told the magazine published by Condé Nast.


Human Rights Watch’s Asia division deputy director Phil Robertson who was instrumental in orchestrating Sajat’s escape to Thailand helped her to obtain a refugee’s status from the United Nation’s High Commissioner for Refugees till she could safely settle down in Australia added:


“The traditional view of LGBT people by the (Malaysian) Government and others is that somehow they’re social misfits, and that if you go down this path you will ruin yourself. (But) the interesting thing about Sajat is that she is a very successful LGBT woman and entrepreneur, selling cosmetics – and selling a very prominent lifestyle.”

The April 2022 issue of Allure

If the Malaysian authorities didn’t want people looking up to Sajat, their plan backfired big time, according to Allure, for she’s back to showing others that they can indeed live their dreams – in her new home, Sajat is taking her business global.


“When I reached Australia, I felt peace,” said the owner of Nursajat Legacy Cosmetic Australia. “And even though I had to start from zero, I’m actually blossoming when it comes to my career as a businesswoman.”

Since starting over, she already has a team selling her coveted corset, Let’s Bengkung (“Let’s Bend” in English). And her new team is starting to feel like a family. “Many of them actually left their countries or homes because they had their own bad experiences or failures in life, and I’m here to build them up as a leader.”

“It’s kind of sad, but at the same time it’s empowering. I want to prove to the trans community that there’s hope,” enthused Sajat although she cannot forget how she was targeted at home. “”My achievement shows everybody, not just LGBT people, that there’s always a second chance in life.”

Recalling her ordeal, Sajat said the three years between her clothing incident – she wore baju kurung to attend a religious event, hence was charged with insulting Islam last year – the Malaysian Government has been in the midst of a political crisis and criticized for infighting and mismanagement of the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, the country has had three different Prime Ministers since 2018.

“I became a scapegoat for these politicians and their corruption,” Sajat said.

“They use the LGBT issue to divert attention from the main issues of the country and I am one of their victims.” – April 19, 2022