FARISHA, who once worked as a striptease in London and Sydney, is in dire straits.

The 30-year-old is temporarily bedridden after falling 30 metres while trying to flee a machete-wielding man early Saturday morning at the Jalan Petani flats in Kuala Terengganu.

Farisha is hoping for a new lease of life after recovering but faces setbacks.

The biggest problem is Farisha is not a woman, but a "man trapped in a woman's body" as he puts it.

Farisha, who ruptured his spinal cord and fractured his left leg in the machete attack, said he found it difficult to get a proper job because "people find me too soft, too girly."

"I took to selling my body. I have to care for my aging mother who lives with me," he said, adding he could earn up to RM50 a day by entertaining clients.

"I am fond of wearing female clothes. I am infatuated by guys and until today. I am still the same," he said.

His three elder siblings were also facing financial constraints while the family had lost touch with another brother after he left to work in Kuala Lumpur.

Farisha said the money he earned as a striptease had been used for his mother's treatment. She was struck with a serious ailment a few years ago.

Once he recovers, Farisha hopes to work as a model or a deejay.

"All I ask is to be given a chance. Don't look at me as a strange creature, but instead, see what I can do," he said.

THE DAILY CHILLI