January 16, 2007 ( www.nst.com.my)

MALACCA: A couple, alleged to have committed a same-sex marriage, appeared in public for the first time at the Syariah lower court here yesterday.

Mohd Sofian, 40, whose birth certificate bears the name Mazinah Mohamad, "married" Zaiton Aziz, 43, in December 2002.
The marriage, solemnised by imam Ishak Juki from the Bukit Cina mosque, was deemed legal as all procedures were adhered to.

However, problems surfaced a few months later when the Malacca Religious Affairs Department refused to register the marriage because it was suspicious of the groom¡¯s gender.
Prosecutor Mohamad Azli Abdul Rahman applied for an order to secure documents related to Mohd Sofian¡¯s medical check-up on Jan 20 last year from the Malacca Hospital director.

A similar order to determine the gender listed in the accused¡¯s identity card and birth certificate was sought from the Putrajaya Registration Department director.
Mohamad Azli also applied for two subpoenas against the Malacca Hospital surgery department chief and emergency department chief.

Judge Che Saufi Che Husin set March 12 for the next hearing. The couple are represented by Zulfiqri Zakaria.

Their marriage will be annulled and they will be ordered to separate if the court finds them guilty.