A Malaysian man slapped his wife on their wedding night and stormed out of their home after she received a text message from an unknown admirer who professed his undying love for her.

"Though you are married, I still love you," was the message that flashed on the screen of the 19-year-old woman's mobile phone just as the couple were about to enter their room at 2 a.m. Sunday, official news agency Bernama reported.

Her husband, 25, refused to believe the woman's statement that she did not know who the sender was, hit her, tossed away the phone and walked out of the house, the agency said on Monday, quoting the Borneo Post newspaper.

Police on the rugged eastern island have arrested a man and are investigating after the woman and her family complained about the incident in a case that one official called unique in his 33-year career.

The couple are members of the Iban, a tribe of former headhunters that lives in communal longhouses and makes up about a third of the population of Borneo.