A woman's bid to be declared a man was thrown out by a high court in a landmark decision in this mainly Muslim country barring transsexuals from registering their new gender, a report said today.

Wong Chiou Yoong, 33, filed an application at a high court in Perak last year to be declared a man after failed attempts to alter her birth certificate and identity card at the National Registration Department, The Star said.

Born with two sexual organs

Wong, who is a restaurant worker in Singapore, claimed she was born with two sexual organs and underwent a gender operation in April 2002, the daily said.

But Justice VT Singham said there was no law in the country allowing transsexuals to register their new gender.

He noted Wong was biologically born a woman and there was no medical evidence to show she had two sexual organs.

Wong's mother Ang Liew Teck said her daughter had demonstrated traits of being male since childhood. Wong had dated a few girls and even considered marriage, she added.