KUALA LUMPUR: The police are reviewing the standard operating procedures (SOP) for raids and subsequent investigations in connection with spas and wellness centres, especially those suspected of hosting immoral activities.
Kuala Lumpur police chief Comm Datuk Fadil Marsus said the review was needed after the discovery of procedural weaknesses during investigations and subsequent enforcement actions.
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"The review is crucial to ensure that enforcement actions have a positive impact while maintaining the effectiveness of investigations.
"Operations leading to arrests must follow a structured process.
"However, some technical aspects need improvement to ensure that evidence is not compromised," he told reporters after the "Masih Ada Yang Sayang" donation programme at city police headquarters here on Monday (Dec 1).
He was commenting on the recent release of 171 men, detained at a "men-only" wellness centre in Chow Kit on Friday (Nov 28), after applications for their remand were rejected.
Comm Fadil said the police want every operation to have a positive impact on society.
"We don’t want raids and arrests to be carried out, only for evidence to be inadequate, resulting in investigations being stalled," he said.
He stressed that every offence has legal requirements that must be met, and it is not enough to simply accuse individuals without enough evidence.
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"Every offence has its ingredients and requirements. It is not easy to accuse someone, including cases involving sodomy or other negative social activities," he said.
Comm Fadil said the police are strengthening cooperation with local authorities and the Federal Territories Islamic Religious Department (Jawi) to prevent such premises from resuming operations.
"This is one of the most important aspects. We are working closely with them by sharing intelligence to ensure the well-being of Kuala Lumpur," he said.
He added that the police are now focusing on the organisers of suspected activities at such premises.
"What concerns us is the organisers – they're the ones against whom we will take all-out action," he said.
It was reported that 171 local men arrested in a recent raid at a wellness centre in Chow Kit were released after the court rejected police remand applications.
Comm Fadil had explained that the remand applications were delayed owing to the large number of detainees, as each case had to be classified individually, leading the magistrate to reject the applications.
The raid on Friday was conducted by KL police, along with Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) and Jawi.
