Malaysian transgender activist Nisha Ayub receives the US Secretary of State’s International Women of Courage Award. ― Screengrab from the US Embassy in Kuala Lumpur's Twitter account

KUALA LUMPUR, April 1 — The Malaysian AIDS Council (MAC) expressed hope today that local transgender activist Nisha Ayub’s win of a US government award for courage would lead to better understanding of trans-people who are disproportionately affected by HIV.

MAC president Datuk Dr Raj Karim said discrimination against transgenders affects their access to HIV treatment, noting that HIV prevalence among the community is 14 times higher than the general population.

“We are extremely proud of what Nisha has accomplished in seeking fair and just treatment for, and challenging public’s negative views, perceptions and stereotypes of transgender people,” Raj said in a statement.

“We hope that this recognition will pave the way for greater understanding of transgender issues and ultimately improved health and social outcomes for transgender people. We wish Nisha continued success in her future endeavours,” she added.

Nisha won the 2016 US Secretary of State’s International Women of Courage Award last Tuesday, the first trans-woman to win the award in its 10-year history.

Nisha ― who co-founded two transgender rights NGOs, the SEED Foundation and Justice for Sisters ― told Malay Mail Online that she hoped the Malaysian government would recognise the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community and called for equal rights.