A coalition of NGOs and individuals is coming together to call out the Kelantan state Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) over their statements on the recent alleged ‘gay party’ that was raided at a bungalow in Kota Bharu in mid-June.
Malaysian LGBTIQ and gender-diverse human rights group, Justice for Sisters, took to its website to share a joint press statement from 31 NGOs and individuals, to share their side of the story.
This image is for illustration purposes only.
They wrote, “We, the undersigned, call on the Kelantan Police to check the accuracy and veracity of the facts shared with the media in connection with an alleged gay party that the police broke up last month, in June 2025.”
“The case was widely reported in the media and drew quick discriminatory statements against LGBTQ people from state and non-state actors, raising fear of further discrimination, violence and marginalisation among LGBTIQ people.”
PDRM’s POV vs the NGOs’ POV
They went on to highlight points about the event which differ from the police’s account.
“Justice for Sisters’ documentation of the event is completely different from the police’s account. Justice for Sisters confidently confirms that:
- Contrary to the allegation that the event was a “gay sex party”, it was actually a health event. In keeping with the goals of the event, it provided sexual health and HIV-related information, condoms, and voluntary testing to promote safer sexual health practices.
- The event, which began at 8 pm, included health talks with healthcare providers, including doctors. The event was winding up by midnight; however, about 20 attendees were still at the event awaiting test results.
- None of them provided sexual services at the event or were there to provide sexual services. The attendees were at the event to seek sexual health information and tests.
- The police alleged that the attendees paid a fee to attend the event. This is inaccurate. No payment was needed from the attendees to participate in the event. It was a free health event aiming to increase access to health services among marginalised populations.
- The police alleged that the event was promoted on social media. This is also inaccurate.
- The police, allegedly from the narcotics unit, raided the event after midnight. The attendees noted that the police raided the event under the suspicion that it was a “gay party”. However, they learned that it was not. Yet, the police proceeded to conduct urine tests with the remaining attendees. All tested negative. The police then checked the attendees’ phones for information about the supposed gay party. They found nothing. Three people, however, were arrested for having intimate content, most of which is personal content. We maintain that these are trumped-up charges.
- The event targeted hidden populations, including gay, bisexual, queer (GBQ) and other men who have sex with men (MSM). According to the Ministry of Health, access to HIV prevention services for GBQ and other MSM has “… been poor, probably because they are the most hard-to-reach and difficult to identify due to stigma and discrimination.” It is important to note that ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030 requires a whole-of-government and multisectoral approach. The police are critical in implementing harm reduction and ending AIDS efforts, as threats against health centres and services affect health-seeking behaviour.
Following the incident, we have heard that many LGBTQ people are afraid of seeking health services or attending such events in the future.
It is important to note that the police, for years now, have moved away from raiding health events and centres that target marginalised groups, as it goes against public health goals and approaches. Such raids and threats to health centres have a deterring effect on health-seeking behaviour among marginalised populations. We are concerned about the reemergence of this trend. We strongly urge the Ministry of Health to investigate this matter.”
“Correct the inaccurate statements immediately”
The NGOs and individuals involved have also called for the police to maintain the highest level of professionalism, integrity and accuracy when reporting about cases to the media, as well as to maintain a compassionate and responsive approach to the discrimination that marginalised groups face.
“Many of the statements by the police were stigmatising, which were later sensationalised in the media,”
“Justice of Sisters has documented a range of human rights violations by the police during the raid, including violations of privacy as well as degrading and humiliating treatment of the attendees. We are also deeply concerned by the lack of ability of the event organisers and the detainees to speak up and seek redress due to concerns over backlash by the police and the state government,” they explained.
They ultimately insist that the police correct the alleged inaccurate statements released.
This media statement was endorsed by Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO), All Women’s Action Society (AWAM), Amnesty International Malaysia (AIM), Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM) and many, many more.
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