A police raid on a private bungalow in Kelantan has led to the detention of more than 20 men in what Malaysian authorities have described as a “gay party” – the first such case reported in the deeply conservative northern state.
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The raid, which took place in June but was only disclosed on Thursday, also turned up hundreds of condoms and several boxes of HIV medication, according to Kelantan police chief Mohd Yusoff Mamat.
“Investigations found that there was no sexual activity on location during the raid, and that all the suspects were fully clothed,” Mohd Yusoff was quoted as saying by national newswire Bernama. “However, the discovery of the condoms and HIV medication showed that preparations were in place if [sexual activity] were to happen.”
Three of the men were subsequently charged with possessing obscene content found on their mobile phones, he added.
Homosexuality is a crime in Malaysia and punishable by jail time under civil law.
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Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual and queer (LGBTQ) individuals from the Malay-Muslim majority also face the added risk of persecution under a parallel Islamic legal system, which could lead to public caning or “corrective” rehabilitation.
Mohd Yusoff said police believed more than 100 local men attended the party, although most of them had already left by the time the raid was carried out.