KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 20 men were detained by the Federal Territories Islamic Religious Department (Jawi) for wearing women's clothing during a raid on a nightclub on Jalan Sultan here.
Dang Wangi OCPD Asst Comm Noor Dellhan Yahaya said the raid was conducted at about 10pm on Saturday (Oct 29) during a joint operation consisting of the police, Jawi and Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL).
"The 20 men, aged from 22 to and 34, were detained by Jawi under Section 28 of the Syariah Criminal Offences (Federal Territories) Act 1997.
"On top of wearing women's clothing, they also posed as women," he said when contacted on Sunday (Oct 30).
Authorities checked 53 men and nine women at the premises, he said.
"We also detained two men aged 27 and 29 who tested positive for Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
"We will step up operations and inspections on clubs and watch out for activities that do not adhere to the law," said ACP Noor Dellhan.
In a tweet on Sunday (Oct 30) activist and lawyer Siti Kasim said: "The LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) community has continued to be oppressed and persecuted for doing legitimate activities like everyone else. It is persecution."
Incumbent Klang MP Charles Santiago urged authorities to stop targeting the LGBTQ+ community.
"This targeted persecution against the LGBTQ+ community has the potential to trigger hate crimes, which we have seen happen in Malaysia. I urge authorities to cease hunting them down as if they are criminals," he said in a string of tweets on Sunday.
Malaysian LGBTQ+ activist Numan Afifi, who was one of the 20 men being investigated for attending the party described it as a traumatising experience.
He also tweeted that all those detained have since been released after the Magistrate rejected requests to remand them.
