Latest news with #MalaysianAIDSCouncil
Rakyat Post
19 hours ago
- Rakyat Post
University Students Fined For Pornography Possession After HIV Event Raid In Kelantan
Subscribe to our FREE Three individuals, including two university students, were fined for possessing pornographic material on their mobile phones following a police raid at a community health event in Kota Bharu, Kelantan. The lawyer representing the case, Sam CH, clarified on social media that the charges were filed under Section 292 of the Penal Code for 'possessing obscene material' – not for any activities related to a 'gay party' as some media reports suggested. The incident occurred during what the lawyer described as a legitimate community health programme. A banner reading 'Program Mesra Kesihatan Komuniti' (Community Health Programme) was displayed at the venue. Doctors from government health clinics had been invited to speak about HIV prevention and awareness. Counselling sessions were also being conducted. 'No drug was found; no one was caught using drugs that night. No one was having sex at the event place,' Sam wrote in her Facebook post. Legal Consequences and Digital Privacy Warning According to the lawyer, when police found no evidence of illegal activities at the venue, they proceeded to search mobile phones of those present. The three individuals were detained for five days before being fined. The lawyer said her clients have since paid their fines and 'learned their lessons', though she noted they were 'traumatised' by the experience. Sam warned the public about digital privacy, explaining that police can retrieve deleted images and videos from phones. Ladies and gentlemen, never browse pornographic websites with your phone. Police will still be able to retrieve obscene images in your phone even if you had deleted the images and video. She also called for police to focus resources on more serious crimes, including drug trafficking, violent crimes, child sexual exploitation, domestic violence, corruption and fraud. The lawyer emphasised that her comments represented her personal views and not those of her clients or the Malaysian AIDS Council/Malaysian AIDS Foundation (MAC/MAF). NGOs Dispute Police Claims Over Raid Previously, a coalition of 31 NGOs has rejected police claims about the raid, supposedly an LGBTQ+-linked programme. The event was a legitimate health initiative providing HIV testing and sexual health information, not a 'gay sex party' as authorities alleged. MAC confirmed the session was conducted under a Health Ministry-supported model targeting high-risk groups, involving over 70 clients and healthcare providers including doctors. NGOs expressed concern about the re-emergence of raids on health centres and events for minority groups, saying such actions undermine public courage to seek HIV treatment and prevention services. The coalition called on police to correct their 'inaccurate statements' and urged the Health Ministry to investigate the matter. READ MORE : Parts of this story have been sourced from Share your thoughts with us via TRP's . Get more stories like this to your inbox by signing up for our newsletter.
Free Malaysia Today
2 days ago
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Kelantan open to talks with AIDS council, cops over LGBT event
Kelantan deputy menteri besar Fadzli Hassan said programmes touching on sensitivities must be approved by the relevant authorities. PETALING JAYA : The Kelantan government has expressed its willingness to meet with police and the Malaysian AIDS Council regarding the recent organisation of a programme related to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities in Kota Bharu. Deputy menteri besar Fadzli Hassan said they were seeking to discuss and gain a clearer understanding of the event so the matter can be resolved diplomatically, and to dispel any unfounded allegations. 'Perhaps the mistake was not the organiser's. That's why it needs to be investigated first so that police are not wrongly blamed by the public. 'The police have their job, the AIDS council also has its responsibilities. 'Any programme that goes against the state government's policies and the customs of Kelantan's people is something we simply cannot accept,' Bernama reported him as saying at the Kota Darulnaim Complex today. Fadzli said programmes touching on sensitivities, especially when held within village communities, require permission from the relevant authorities such as the Kelantan Islamic religious affairs department, police and others. He said the state government can also take appropriate action if any event is found to have violated any of its regulations In mid-June, Kelantan police raided an LGBT-related event involving more than 20 men at a bungalow on Jalan Kemumin in Kota Bharu. Kelantan police chief Yusoff Mamat was reported as saying the operation was conducted based on tip-offs and intelligence gathered by a special task force, following complaints. A search of the premises uncovered hundreds of condoms and several boxes of HIV medication stored in a special room believed to be used as a storage place by the organisers. The Malaysian AIDS Council said it had conducted an outreach session on June 17 in Kemumin to engage with high-risk communities as part of HIV prevention efforts before the police raid. The programme, which ran from 8pm to 2am, was part of a strategic approach by the health ministry to deliver more inclusive and community-centred HIV treatment services.
The Sun
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Sun
Kelantan govt open to talks over LGBT programme with police, MAC
KOTA BHARU: The Kelantan government is open to discussions with the police and the Malaysian AIDS Council (MAC) regarding a recent LGBT-related programme held in the state. Deputy Menteri Besar Datuk Dr Mohamed Fadzli Hassan emphasised the need for clarity on the event's organisation to resolve the matter diplomatically. 'Perhaps the mistake made was not the organiser's fault. That's why it needs to be investigated first, so that the police are not wrongfully blamed by the public. The police have their job, and on the other side, MAC also has its responsibilities,' he said after the state assembly session. Mohamed Fadzli stated that any programme conflicting with state policies and local customs would not be tolerated. He stressed that events involving sensitive issues must obtain prior approval from authorities like the Kelantan Islamic Religious Affairs Department (JAHEIK) and the police. The issue arose after a police raid in mid-June at a bungalow in Jalan Kemumin, where an LGBT-related event was held. State police chief Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat confirmed the operation followed public complaints and intelligence reports. Authorities found hundreds of condoms and HIV medication at the location. MAC clarified that the June 17 event was part of an HIV prevention initiative endorsed by the Ministry of Health. The outreach aimed to engage high-risk communities through inclusive healthcare strategies. Mohamed Fadzli added that the state government could take action if any event violates regulations. The discussions aim to prevent misunderstandings while upholding Kelantan's cultural and religious values. – Bernama
Barnama
2 days ago
- Politics
- Barnama
Kelantan Govt open To Talks With Police, Mac Over LGBT Programme
KOTA BHARU, July 21 (Bernama) -- The Kelantan government has expressed its willingness to meet with all relevant parties, including the police and the Malaysian AIDS Council (MAC), regarding the recent organisation of a programme related to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) communities in Kota Bharu. Kelantan Deputy Menteri Besar Datuk Dr Mohamed Fadzli Hassan said the meeting is to discuss and gain a clearer understanding of the event's organisation, so that the matter may be resolved diplomatically and dispel any unfounded allegations. 'Perhaps the mistake made was not the organiser's fault. That's why it needs to be investigated first, so that the police are not wrongfully blamed by the public. The police have their job, and on the other side, MAC also has its responsibilities. 'Any programme that goes against the state government's policies and the customs of the Kelantanese people is something we simply cannot accept,' he said during a press conference after the Kelantan State Legislative Assembly (DUN) session at the Kota Darulnaim Complex here today. He said that for programmes touching on sensitivities, especially when held within village communities, permission must first be obtained from the relevant authorities such as the Kelantan Islamic Religious Affairs Department (JAHEIK), the police and others. Commenting further, Mohamed Fadzli said the state government could also take appropriate action if any event is found to have violated regulations set by the state government. In mid-June, Kelantan police raided an LGBT-related event involving more than 20 local men at a bungalow in Jalan Kemumin here. State police chief Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat was reported as saying that the operation was conducted based on public tip-offs and intelligence gathered by a special task force, following complaints about the event. A search of the premises uncovered hundreds of condoms and several boxes of HIV medication stored in a special room believed to be used as a storage place by the organisers.
New Straits Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- New Straits Times
Kelantan Health Dept not organiser of LGBT event raided by police
KOTA BARU: The state health department said it was not the organiser of an event in Kampung Kemumin, Pengkalan Chepa, which was raided by police over a suspected lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) gathering last month. Kelantan health director Datuk Dr Zaini Hussin said the event was organised by a registered non-governmental organisation (NGO) and not by the Kota Jembal district health office or the state health department. "The programme was organised by an NGO. "The Kota Jembal health officer was only invited to deliver a health talk during one of the event's sessions," he said. He added that the NGO involved, SAHABAT, is a registered body under the Malaysian AIDS Council (MAC), and that both the Health Ministry and MAC are strategic partners in public health efforts. Dr Zaini reiterated that the programme was neither coordinated nor led by any government health office. He added that, based on information received, the police raid was conducted after the programme had ended, not during the event. On Friday, 31 NGOs and individuals issued a joint statement rejecting police allegations that the mid-June raid targeted a "gay sex party." They insisted the event was a legitimate HIV awareness and health outreach session. In response, Kelantan police chief Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat had said the raid on a gathering involving over 100 individuals was based on strong evidence. It was reported that Kelantan police raided a bungalow in Kemumin following complaints about an alleged gathering involving gay individuals. Three individuals were detained for possessing obscene videos involving men, while statements were taken from 20 other participants. Police also found hundreds of condoms and HIV prevention pills in one of the rooms.
