The pair were convicted by the Penampang Native Court after the man’s wife lodged a complaint, the Star newspaper said. The wife said her husband and the woman were living together and were caught in shorts and sarong when she confronted them.

Judge William Sampil said the court had found evidence of an intimate affair despite their defence as being just “best friends.”

The judge ordered the man and his lover to pay compensation of four buffalo, a pig and a fine of 2,000 ringgit (586 dollars).

Indigenous people make up less than one percent of Malaysia’s 28 million population.