Ms Jessie Chung, who was previously a man known as Jeffrey, married accountant Joshua Beh in a reception in the city of Kuching this month.

The couple have not obtained a legal marriage certificate. Their wedding was conducted by pastors from three independent churches.

Deputy Home Affairs Minister Tan Chai Ho said the marriage had no legal standing as the law does not allow marriages between two people of the same sex, even if one of them has undergone a sex-change operation.

More than 800 family members and friends attended Chung‘s wedding banquet, a reception that reportedly cost more than C$50,000.

The Malaysian Star newspaper reported that Jessie Chung and her husband have had to put up with taunts like "trans-sexual drama queen" and "sinful couple" after their much publicized wedding.

The couple has been holed up in their house in Kuching, biding their time until the unwanted attention caused by their union abates.

“We are especially worried about the effect these words may have on my parents, Joshua‘s, and our loved ones,” Chung said.