A transgender Malaysian millionaire has hit back at religious leaders after feeling pressure to 'change back'.

Cosmetics mogul Safiey Ilias last week turned down an invitation to have tea with Federal Territories mufti Datuk Seri Zulkifli Mohamad.

Ilias said that previous meetings with other religious figures had been laced with pressure to return to being physically male admitting she also felt pressure from the public reports Malay Mail.

Posting on Instagram last week she wrote: 'It's not that I don't want to meet the mufti, but the society likes to expect too much.

Cosmetics mogul Safiey Ilias turned down an invitation to have tea with Federal Territories mufti Datuk Seri Zulkifli Mohamad

'[It is as if] after meeting the mufti, I ought to change to become a man. Or others will say, it is a marketing for a new song, a new product. Or even, riding on religion.'

The Malay Mail revealed that the mufti had also used the male pronoun 'saudara' in Malay language to describe the transgender woman.

Ilias, who boasts almost a million followers on Instagram, has made her fortune in the cosmetics industry often sharing posts of her products have improved customers skin.

The transgender business woman says that she felt an increasing pressure to 'change back' to being male

In 2016, she made the decision to continue her life as a woman after previously attempting to live as a man. Pictured: Ilias in 2017

She also regularly shares snaps of her own lavish lifestyle, posing in bikinis during luxury holidays and on board luxury yachts.

Ilias has also shared snaps of her transition, becoming increasingly glamorous over the years.

In 2016, she made the decision to continue her life as a woman after previously attempting to live as a man.

Ilias admitted that she had not only been the victim of cruel trolling while living as a male but she had also longed to live as the woman she truly is.

Ilias boasts almost a million followers on Instagram where she shares snaps of her glamorous lifestyle

Ilias has also shared snaps of her transition, becoming increasingly glamorous over the years

When first transitioning she had used the name 'Sofea' before switching to her name given to her at birth - 'Safiey'.

In Malaysia it is illegal to have gay sex and the country has become increasingly intolerant of transgender people.

The past year has seen attacks on trans people increase at an alarming rate with a transgender woman found murdered in Klang on New Year's Day.

The Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamed, has also previously described LGBTQ+ as a ‘Western concept’.