PETALING JAYA: The raid at a "men only" wellness centre in Kuala Lumpur on Friday (Nov 28) has been labelled as discrimination and victimisation of the LGBTQ community.
The Justice for Sisters - an LGBTIQ and gender-diverse human rights group in Malaysia - condemned the raid on Saturday (Nov 29), which saw the arrest of 201 men, including 17 civil servants.
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The group's spokesperson said that the community has already been unfairly discriminated against, and the raid, coupled with sensational media coverage, would deter those involved from seeking support and undermine efforts to end HIV and uphold human rights.
"The media were also invited to participate in the raid, resulting in further violation of the privacy of the detainees.
"We also strongly condemn the derogatory and harmful media reporting that has harmful impacts on the lives and livelihoods of people who are already vulnerable in society due to discrimination," the spokesperson said in a statement on Saturday.
"We strongly reject the idea that the police were compelled to act due to public complaints.
"It is important for the police to discern prejudicial elements in public complaints, given the alarming levels of discrimination against LGBTQ people in Malaysia," the spokesperson added.
The raid saw the arrests of about 200 people, with about 80 of them being investigated for indecent behaviour in public spaces, while the rest are being investigated for allegedly committing carnal intercourse.
