KOTA BHARU, July 19 — A coalition of civil society groups has urged Kelantan police to revise their statement on a June 2025 raid of an alleged “gay sex party” here, which they claim was in fact a health outreach event.
The groups, led by transgender rights advocacy group Justice for Sisters, said media reports following the raid resulted in harmful and stigmatising remarks that have intensified fear among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) individuals seeking health services.
“Contrary to the allegation that the event was a ‘gay sex party’, it was actually a health event,” the groups said in a statement.
“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.”
It said the event provided HIV-related information, condoms, voluntary testing, and health talks with doctors, running from 8pm until around midnight.
The coalition said all attendees tested negative in police-conducted urine tests, and no evidence of sexual activity or promotional content on social media was found.
Three individuals were arrested over personal intimate content on their phones, which the groups described as trumped-up charges.
They highlighted that such events target hard-to-reach populations, as identified by the Ministry of Health, and are vital to national AIDS eradication goals.
The coalition said the police’s public statements were stigmatising, including unnecessary disclosure of HIV status and harmful suggestions about HIV medication.
They also alleged human rights violations during the raid, including degrading treatment and privacy breaches, which have deterred victims from seeking redress.
“Justice for 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 said.
Concern was also raised over the perceived regression in police practices, which previously avoided disrupting health services for marginalised groups.
The statement was endorsed by over 25 organisations and individuals, including Amnesty International Malaysia, PT Foundation, Centre for Independent Journalism, Women’s Aid Organisation, and medical professionals.
