KUALA LUMPUR, Apr 1 — Photographs of cosmetics entrepreneur Nur Sajat Kamaruzzaman were distributed to border control enforcers as early last month in order to thwarting possible attempts by the entrepreneur to abscond from the country, Bernama reported.

General Operations Force (PGA) Northern Brigade’s deputy commander Assistant Commissioner Mohd Noh Khamis was quoted by the national news agency saying photographs of the entrepreneur were distributed at security checkpoints along the border, but have yet to receive positive leads into her whereabouts.

"We are always monitoring the borders tightly, where currently, the borders are not open to the public and only vehicles loaded with industrial goods are allowed to cross the border.

"The closest country for her to go to is Thailand, so we will continue monitoring.

"There might even be attempt to disguise [as someone else] to avoid being detected by authorities. So we will continue the strict control at the security checkpoints,” Mohd Noh was quoted saying in the report.

This after Bukit Aman Criminal Investigations Department director Commissioner Datuk Huzir Mohamed said yesterday that police were looking into the possibility of Nur Sajat having absconded overseas since being tracked down by authorities since February.

Huzir said this is after police received "certain reports” claiming she had gone overseas.

The entrepreneur is being tracked down by authorities after she missed a Shariah Court hearing date in February this year concerning a case brought against her almost three years ago.

Sajat’s absence from proceedings then triggered a search party by the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais), who had said they empowered 122 personnel and enforcement officers to find and arrest Nur Sajat.

On March 1, the police stated their readiness to assist in the search for Nur Sajat and were subsequently roped in to join in the hunt upon a request by Jais.

The Shariah Court charge against Nur Sajat was made under Section 10(a) of the Shariah Crimes (State of Selangor) Enactment 1995 which provides for a sentence not exceeding RM5,000 or imprisonment not exceeding three years or both, if convicted.

Section 10 refers to the Shariah offence of insulting Islam or causing Islam to be insulted either by mocking or blaspheming the faith and its associated practices and rituals either in a written, pictorial or photographic form.

The charges were allegedly connected to a religious event that she organised in 2018 where she appeared in a baju kurung.

Nur Sajat had through an Instagram live broadcast recently denied she is evading capture from the authorities but was instead keeping a low profile on social media.

Nur Sajat has been the subject of intense scrutiny by authorities and some members of the public over her gender identity.

Most recently, she had posted on her social media that she is considering renouncing Islam, ostensibly due to the persecution and attacks she faces from religious authorities and the Muslim public.