On 28 November, law enforcement officials in Kuala Lumpur arrested more than 200 individuals from a male-only wellness center after authorities suspected the premises were being used for “illicit activities” and “promoting homosexuality.” The arrests were made under suspected violation of Section 377B of the Penal Code, a colonial era law criminalising unnatural sexual acts, and Section 29 of the Syariah Criminal Offences Act for indecent behavior in a public place (the latter only applicable to Muslims). The media were also invited to be a part of the raid resulting in photos, videos, and personal details of the detainees circulated in the news and social media—including those featuring individuals in different states of undress—in a gross breach of privacy and dignity. The detained individuals have been released from custody as the police could not find any evidence of anyone being “exploited or coerced” into “prostitution, or abnormal sexual activity.” Despite the Kuala Lumpur Police not levying any criminal charges, the Federal Territories Islamic Religious Department (JAWI) stated that Muslim men are still under investigation for violation of Syariah law.
A similar raid was carried out in a spa in Penang on 29 November. Thirteen individuals were arrested and are currently being investigated under Section 377B of the Penal code and Section 292 for possession of obscene materials, on account of finding pornographic videos on their personal mobile phones confiscated by the police, with seven of these individuals having been charged. The pictures and videos from this raid are also circulating online along with discussions on the identities of detained individuals. The owner was also charged under Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act for exposing the patrons who visited his establishment to HIV. The continued stigmatisation of HIV and its instrumentalisation by the authorities to corner queer individuals raises grave concerns.
ILGA Asia condemns the lack of due process by Malaysian law enforcement authorities, violations of principles of criminal justice and human rights, the gross infringement of the right to privacy leading to public exposure of personally identifiable information(including through violations of portrait and personality rights), and the lack of dignity afforded to individuals as the raid was being conducted. The detainees were reportedly held with limited access to food and water, lack of access to lawyers, and were only released with a bailor—despite their remand applications being dismissed by the magistrate the following day. The Ministry of Education has removed officials associated with it who were detained in the raid to ensure they are no longer placed in any educational institution under the Ministry until the investigation process is completed, constituting a direct act of discrimination against all those involved. The Ministry alleges this has been done to curb “immoral acts at all levels.” The leak of personal data from active police investigations compromises the entire criminal justice process, and there are reports of doxxed individuals coming under scrutiny of their employers and families as the information leak continues to impact their daily lives even upon release from custody.
In June 2025, a similar raid in Kelantan during an HIV awareness and health outreach session occured based on accusations of it being a “gay sex party.” During the raid, authorities confiscated condoms and HIV medications, and three individuals were eventually charged for possession of “pornographic content” on their phones. The increase in scale and frequency of raids on what the authorities consider “gay gatherings” is concerning. These raids are inherently discriminatory and target people solely on the basis of their sexual orientation. The criminalisation of consensual same-sex sexual conduct between adults (rooted in colonial era legislation and vague morality clauses) does not stop LGBTIQ individuals from existing; it only invisibilises their struggles and further marginalises communities already experiencing violations to their socioeconomic and cultural rights, right to inclusive and gender-affirming healthcare, and right to access justice.
“As a Malaysian and as Executive Director of ILGA Asia, I condemn these raids in the strongest possible terms. What happened in Kuala Lumpur and Penang is not law enforcement – it is state-sanctioned humiliation. Inviting cameras into private spaces, parading people half-dressed, rifling through their phones, and leaking their identities online are grotesque violations of privacy, dignity, and due process.
These operations weaponise colonial-era sodomy provisions and Syariah offences to terrorise people perceived to be gay or bisexual, while doing nothing to make anyone safer. They send a chilling message that queer Malaysians can be hunted, exposed, and punished simply for existing, with lifelong consequences for their jobs, families, and mental health.
The Malaysian authorities must immediately halt these discriminatory raids, drop all investigations, and take down any leaked personal data. It is long past time to repeal the laws that criminalise consensual same-sex intimacy and to build a Malaysia where no one lives in fear of being dragged from a so-called ‘wellness centre’ or ‘spa’ into the court of public shaming.” Henry Koh, Executive Director of ILGA Asia states.
We strongly urge the Malaysian government to release all detainees who have been targeted on the basis of their sexual orientation, gender identity, expression, or sex characteristics (SOGIESC), and to take down any leaked personal information related to the individuals detained. ILGA Asia urges the Malaysian authorities to cease discriminatory raids that weaponise narratives of public decency and morality to violate the rights to privacy, dignity, and equality before the law for everyone regardless of their SOGIESC. We further implore the government to take steps to amend colonial era and religious laws that criminalise LGBTIQ lives and bodies, and to ensure that the human rights of all people in Malaysia are respected, protected, and fulfilled.
