KOTA BHARU, July 19 — Kelantan police have reportedly defended their recent raid on HIV health outreach programme here in June, after previously claiming that it was a “gay sex party”.
After the Malaysian AIDS Council (MAC) and civil groups criticised its conduct over the raid, the police claimed they had “solid proof” after receiving complaints lodged by the public.
“Following the complaint, we carried out intelligence work before launching the raid at 1.15am, where we found 20 individuals in the house,” Kelantan police chief Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat was quoted saying by Berita Harian.
“The raid was conducted with everyone’s best interests in mind. Our intention was simply to undertake amar makruf and nahi mungkar,” he added, referring to the Islamic concept of enjoining good and forbidding wrong.
He also claimed that the raid was necessary to maintain public safety and order in the state.
Mohd Yusoff stressed that the operation had no political agenda and was not meant to discredit the Kelantan state government.
Yesterday, the MAC confirmed that it conducted a night outreach session here on June 17 under the Differentiated HIV Services for Key Populations model.
MAC said the session was in collaboration with Kota Jembal Health Clinic and part of a strategic approach introduced by the Health Ministry.
This comes as a coalition of civil society groups had also urged Kelantan police to revise their statement on a June 2025 raid of an alleged “gay sex party” here, which they clarified 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.
