Nur Sajat was dressed like any other Malaysian Muslim woman when she attended a religious charity event in Selangor, in a floral veil and long pink abaya, or Muslim robe.
She could hardly have known such conservative clothing would ultimately force her to flee Malaysia, leaving behind her home, business empire and two children, in fear for her safety.
But as a transgender woman, the very act of dressing in female clothing, let alone at a religious event, is a crime under sharia law.
Under Malaysia's dual legal system, Islamic or sharia law applies to the majority-Muslim population, alongside civil law.
In January, the 36-year-old beauty entrepreneur was accused of insulting Islam, charges that could have seen her jailed for three years, most likely in a men's prison.
Her case has highlighted what human rights groups say are worsening conditions for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in Malaysia, a country that still criminalises same-sex relations, and where transgender people face prosecution for "cross-dressing".
It is only now that Ms Sajat has been granted asylum in Australia and landed safely in Sydney that she is able to speak out publicly.
"I am very grateful to the Australian government," she told the ABC from her quarantine hotel, where she arrived a week ago.
Fleeing Malaysia and seeking asylum in Australia was a months-long ordeal for the openly trans celebrity entrepreneur, who was famous in Malaysia well before she was accused of blasphemy.
Her cosmetics company, Nur Sajat Aesthetic, and appearances on her own online reality show, Nur Sajat Rated Xtra, have made her a household name.
She has hundreds of thousands of followers on social media, where she posts dancing videos and fashion and beauty reviews.
Fleeing home via Thailand and an attempted extradition
When Malaysian religious authorities sought her arrest after she failed to appear in court in February, Ms Sajat fled to Thailand.
"It was my last resort," she said.
"They were trying to punish me for who I am, and I realised I wouldn't be safe in Malaysia.
Even in Bangkok, Ms Sajat faced prosecution. Thai officials arrested and detained her for entering the country illegally because Malaysia had cancelled her passport.
Malaysian authorities then sought her extradition, but by then she had been granted refugee status by the United Nations, meaning Thailand could not deport her.
A senior official at the time — referring to Ms Sajat as a man — said Malaysia was ready to offer "counselling" if she agreed to return home.
"If [she] has admitted wrong and so on, if [she] wants to return to [her] true nature, there is no problem. We do not want to punish [her], we just want to educate," said Idris Ahmad, from the government's religious affairs department.
Sajat's ordeal highlights Malaysia's stance against LGBT people
It wasn't the first time Ms Sajat had come under fire from religious authorities.
In 2020, the Malaysian government threatened to shut down her social media accounts after she shared videos and photos of her wearing women's prayer robes on a pilgrimage to Mecca.
Human Rights Watch says Ms Sajat's case highlights the intolerance and discrimination that transgender women face in Malaysia.
"Malaysia is completely out of step with the international community on protection of LGBT rights," said Phil Robertson, deputy director of Human Rights Watch's Asia division.
Late last month, Malaysian government leaders revealed they were considering banning transgender people from entering mosques, echoing a similar ban introduced in the northern state of Perlis.
"If a man enters a mosque wearing headscarves, it is very inappropriate," Datuk Ahmad Marzuk, the deputy minister of the Prime Minister's Department of Religious Affairs, said.
"If a man enters Muslim women's section [of the mosque], it will disturb their privacy."
Only a week ago Malaysia won a seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council, from 2022-2044, after publicly pledging to promote and protect human rights for all.
But human rights groups including Justice for Sisters, an NGO representing Malaysia's LGBT community, say the government's treatment of Ms Sajat makes a mockery of the UN vote.
"The continuous and escalating anti-LGBT sentiments in Malaysia are extremely concerning," the organisation said.
A 2019 study on the discrimination against transgender people in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor found more than half of those surveyed did not feel safe living in Malaysia, while 72 per cent had considered migrating to countries with better legal protection.
Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, who was appointed in August, recently defended his government's stance towards the LGBT community.
"The government is serious about the issue of LGBT people in the country as Malaysia is a country that adheres to the religion of Islam," he told parliament.
"Any individual who violates the law must face action … they need to be guided and be made aware so that they can return to the right path."
The Prime Minister revealed 1,733 LGBT individuals had been sent to religious camps this year to be "rehabilitated".
Human rights groups call for international community to make a stand
Mr Robertson said Australia deserved "a great deal of credit" for offering asylum to Ms Sajat and giving her the opportunity to restart her life after being on the run for nine months.
But he urged Australia and other nations to take a strong stand against Malaysia's treatment of transgender people.
"There has to be a real pushback on this case," he said.
"Malaysia is among the worst in the South-East Asia region on LGBT rights, and the persecution and then pursuit of Nur Sajat when she fled shows that so clearly."
Ms Sajat said despite having to sell her cosmetics business in Malaysia, she was looking forward to starting a new business in Australia once she left quarantine in the coming days.
She broke down during her interview with the ABC when describing how she had to leave her two adopted children — a twin boy and girl — behind with her mother.
"They've been with me [almost] since they were born," she said.
"But if I'd stayed in Malaysia I would have been jailed.
"I hope now I'm here I can maybe bring them to Australia.
