Mr F (pseudonym) has been living in fear and isolation since he was detained during a police raid at a men’s wellness centre, which authorities described as a suspected gay sex spot.
The ordeal began when he was suddenly confronted by authorities on Nov 28 while visiting the centre for legitimate gym activities.
"I reached the premises for gym activities. I’m not local, as in, from Kuala Lumpur. I just happened to be nearby and found the place online.
"I was down at the gym, and after that I went to the sauna and the jacuzzi, where everything was very normal. No suspicious things were going around from where I was. It was when I was about to leave, I was shouted at and asked to gather around," he said in an interview with Malaysiakini.
Mr F described the initial encounter as chaotic, with detainees being herded around, forced to sit on cement floors without food or water, and denied access to toilets.
Despite asking about the reason for his detention and his legal rights, he said none were explained until a magistrate hearing nearly 40 hours later.
He claimed that one of the detainees, a foreigner, eventually suffered a seizure.
“I have not left my house since my release. I’m constantly anxious that I will be recognised, especially as uncensored videos taken during the raid have circulated online. Photos were also taken at the police station, adding to my fear.
“The police were shouting at us for no reason, having stereotypes that we were all soft men.
"We were not told our rights at all, but I was very well aware that whatever the police were doing was violating our rights," he added.
The aftermath
Even after being released, Mr F continues to grapple with the social and emotional aftermath.
He fears the incident may harm his professional reputation, employment prospects, and personal relationships. His relationship with his mother has been strained ever since his release from police custody.
“Numerous pictures have been taken, and I have no idea how it will be spread. Some were not even censored," he said, alleging that several video clips reportedly filmed by the police have also made their way onto the internet, and that he fears he might be identified in them.
His parents have also had to dip into their life savings to secure legal representation for him, as he is just about to enter the working world.
"My parents have taken some money to get a lawyer to defend me, which I am ashamed of," he added.
Mr F also admitted that he has avoided seeking mental health support for fear of further exposure, leaving him to cope with stress and anxiety largely on his own.
On Dec 1, PSM Youth’s deputy chairperson Aiman Sees claimed they were informed of alleged police brutality during the raid and that the suspects’ basic and legal rights were ignored.
However, Dang Wangi police chief Sazalee Adam denied this.
Kuala Lumpur police chief Fadil Marsus confirmed that 171 suspects - including Mr F - were later released, as the authorities failed to obtain a remand order.
The New Straits Times reported him as saying that their remand application was dismissed as it was submitted late, which he claimed was due to the large number of detainees, and that the authorities could not proceed with their investigations under Sections 377 and 372 of the Penal Code due to a lack of evidence.
He added that the authorities could not charge any of the detainees as none of them claimed to be victims of exploitation, prostitution, or unnatural sex.
Kuala Lumpur deputy police chief Azani Omar previously said that of the over 200 detained, 80 were Muslims and foreigners from South Korea, Indonesia, Germany, and China.
Lost respect for authorities
Whilst in detention, Mr F claimed that selective urine tests were also carried out on the detained men.
"It was confusing as we were told that we would be released when our urine tested negative for drugs, but then not everyone was tested, and neither was it the truth. They humiliated us and claimed that we are all soft and gay," he said.
Mr F said that although the magistrate had ruled that they should be released with no further remand, the police continued to process them as if they were still legally detained.
He accused the police officers of deliberately delaying their release, claiming they would only let them go once all their guarantors had arrived.
"I can remember a particular officer who had intentionally hidden his name tag. All of them did anyway.
"He said, ‘We will be holding you until all your guarantors are here. The supporters, downstairs (NGOs, lawyers and family members), will not last even two hours before leaving’," Mr F recalled.
Looking ahead, Mr F hopes for accountability and reform.
"I hope that the police will apologise for violating our rights, and the relevant police officers (involved in the raid) will face their consequences.
"I hope in the future, police officers should properly be educated in terms of law, as to me it seems that they are not well-versed with the law at all. They are the commissioners of law and it is dangerous if they are not adept in it," he added.
Mr F said he feels extremely stressed, accusing several politicians of using the incident for their own publicity by pressuring the authorities to take further action, even though the court has already denied the police a remand application.
"I feel anxious about the need to go back to court. I feel sorry for putting my parents in this kind of anxiety," he said.
Ramkarpal vs Saifuddin
On Dec 3, DAP lawmaker Ramkarpal Singh fired a salvo at Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, after the latter said that the patrons of the health club that the police raided were involved in immoral activities.
Taking his Pakatan Harapan colleague to task, Ramkarpal reminded Saifuddin that the case had not been investigated properly.
Saifuddin defended the police’s action in raiding a health club alleged to have been involved in same-sex activities. He claimed that the raid, which resulted in the arrest of over 200 individuals, did not violate their privacy.
“Privacy is when a person is alone at home. This is a public premises with 201 people, what privacy are we talking about?
“It is an immoral act that cannot be defended by any religion,” he said.
Bernama reported that 17 civil servants were identified to be among the over 200 men who were detained in the raid, which NGOs have criticised as discriminatory. - Mkini
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