KOTA BARU: Seven men who posed as women and dressed as women in the multipurpose hall of an apartment on Jalan Mahmood here last year were charged in the Syariah Lower Court here on Sunday (April 19).
All the men, aged 25 to 30, however, pleaded not guilty after the charges against them were read out separately by an interpreter before Syariah Judge Zahari Mohd Yusoff, reported Sinar Harian.
Based on the charges, they are alleged to have worn women's clothing, including thigh-length skirts, high heels, and tight pants, and to have had their hair in a bun at a gathering in the apartment's multipurpose hall at about 11pm on May 30, 2025.
All of them were charged under Section 19(1) of the Syariah Criminal Code Enactment (I) 2019, which provides for a fine not exceeding RM3,000, imprisonment for up to 2 years, or both if convicted.
The prosecution was conducted by Kelantan Deputy Syariah Prosecutor, Shamsiah Hassan, while all the accused were represented by Syariah lawyer, Muhammed Syarafi Mohd Salleh, together with Mohd Faqqhuruddin Mohd Nasir and Muhammad Amirul Ashraf A. Ghani.
The court then allowed each accused to be bailed at RM1,000 with one surety and set July 5 as the date for mention of the case.
Meanwhile, Muhammed Syarafi informed that all of his clients had paid the set bail.
He said the court agreed to have the trial proceedings conducted with six other individuals who had previously been charged with the same charges.
Previously, the seven accused were part of 13 men who were arrested in a raid by the Kelantan Islamic Religious Affairs Department (JAHEAIK) in collaboration with the police at an apartment in Jalan Mahmood on May 30 last year, based on public information.
