Muslim couple to be separated if Malaysian court finds husband was once a woman

IHT.com – The Associated Press

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: Malaysian authorities are seeking to annul the marriage of a Muslim couple, claiming the husband was born a woman and the wedding was an illegal same-sex union, a court official said Tuesday.

A Shariah Court in the southern state of Malacca heard a lawsuit Monday filed against the couple by the state’s Registrar of Marriages, a court official told The Associated Press.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t allowed to talk to the media. He declined to provide further details because the case was still being heard.

However, the New Straits Times newspaper identified the couple as Mohamad Sofian, 40, and Zaiton Aziz, 43, who were married in December 2002 in a mosque by a cleric.

It said the couple ran into problems when they tried to register their marriage, and produced their birth certificates as required by law. Mohamad Sofian’s birth certificate bore a woman’s name.