The death of a transgender woman in Malaysia has sparked fears of a rise in hate crimes, campaigners said yesterday, as police moved swiftly to detain four suspects in the murder investigation. The 32-year-old victim died from multiple injuries last Thursday after she was attacked by a group of youths in Klang, according to a report by state news agency Bernama. The four arrested suspects are between the ages of 16 and 21, the report said. It added that local police said the case was linked to a mobile phone theft and was unrelated to issues affecting the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community.