. "Mak nyah (pronounced [\u02C8ma\u0294 \u02C8\u0272a]), alternatively spelled maknyah, is a Malay vernacular term for male-to-female (MTF) trans women in Malaysia. It arose in the late 1980s in order to distinguish MTF trans women from other minorities.The name is preferred by Malaysian trans women as opposed to various derogatory terms (namely, pondan and bapok), which were previously used by Sarawakians when referring to transsexuals and cross-dressers."@en . .