Jaim, local authorities raid alleged ‘gay-friendly’ hotel in Melaka

The hotel has been ordered to close for a day while its owner explains matters to the Hang Tuah Jaya Municipal Council.

Religious affairs executive councillor Rahmad Mariman said MPHTJ seized the hotel’s business licence to facilitate further investigations, as the owner of the premises was not present during the operation. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA:

 The Melaka Islamic religious affairs department (Jaim) and Hang Tuah Jaya Municipal Council (MPHTJ) today conducted an integrated operation at a hotel in Melaka, over allegations that the premises is “gay-friendly”.

Religious affairs executive councillor Rahmad Mariman said the inspection of 37 rooms in the hotel uncovered no breaches of the Syariah Criminal Offences (State of Malacca) Enactment 1991.

“Inspection of an unlocked room, however, found it in disarray, as if the room had just been used, with two towels hung up and two boxes of condoms in a rubbish bin,” Bernama reported him as saying.

Rahmad said MPHTJ also seized the hotel’s business licence to facilitate further investigations, as the owner of the premises was not present during the operation.

“The hotel has been ordered to close for a day, with its owner summoned to MPHTJ to provide an explanation. If the explanation is satisfactory, the licence will be returned, but action will be taken if it is not,” he said.

Earlier, Rahmad said he had ordered Jaim to look into claims online that the hotel listed itself as “gay-friendly”, which drew concern and jibes from netizens on social media.

This also followed public scrutiny of the “Glamping with Pride” event organised by a pro-LGBTQ NGO, which led to a police investigation and calls for the organiser to scrap the event.

Jejaka, the NGO behind the event, later cancelled the event, citing safety concerns after apparently receiving explicit threats, including death threats, through social media. - FMT