Single mum, civil servant among five couples held for khalwat in JB

JOHOR BARU (Bernama): A single mother and a civil servant were among five couples detained by Johor Islamic Religious Department personnel in an anti-vice operation last night (April 30).

The department's syariah enforcement division principal assistant director, Halid Sono, said all the five men and five women were locals aged between 18 and 43 years.

He said they were caught in separate raids involving 19 enforcers from 10pm to midnight that took place at five budget hotels around Perling and Danga Bay, here.

"All of them were detained because they were in one room, suspected of committing khalwat (close proximity)," he told reporters after the operation last night.

Also participating in the operation was State Islamic Religious Affairs, Agriculture and Rural Development Committee chairman Tosrin Jarvanthi.

According to Halid, in one of the raids, a man jumped out from the third floor of a budget hotel to escape from the authorities.

"We suspect that he fled through the toilet's window grill that he dismantled himself before he escaped and left his partner in the room," he said.

He also said that there were also detained couples who claimed that they are married, but, after further investigation, they changed their statement to being engaged.

Halid said all were detained for not more than 24 hours and will be prosecuted according to the state's syariah laws. – Bernama