On Sunday, May 24, authorities in Malaysia arrested approximately 51 men in connection with a Kuala Lumpur hotel drug party, which has been labelled as a “gay party”.
As reported by The Independent, Bukit Aman Narcotics Crime Investigation Department director Hussein Omar Khan has confirmed that four raids took place, where people aged between 21 and 52 were arrested, including 28 foreign nationals.
“This group was found to be using rooms in upscale hotels for entertainment and drug abuse,” he said, adding that the case was being investigated under the Dangerous Drugs Act.
Authorities also seized about 103,070 ringgit (22,368 euros) worth of illicit drugs, including ecstasy, MDMA, ketamine and others.
Prior to the raids in the hotel, a man had been rushed to the local hospital after falling unconscious and was then pronounced dead soon after. Director Khan disclosed that the cause of death is unknown. It is unclear whether or not this is connected to the raid that took place on Sunday.
Those who have been detained are being held for three to six days, as investigations are underway, with thirty-six of the men testing positive for drugs.
Rights groups in Malaysia have long been scrutinising the anti-LGBTQ+ laws that are used to persecute queer people in the country and raids on alleged “gay parties” have taken place frequently. Same-sex activity is still illegal in the country, banned under both civil and Islamic laws. Cross-dressing is also outlawed.
Last year, the Kuala Lumpur police detained 171 people for suspected same-sex activity in a raid, only to release them shortly after, as there was no evidence for concrete prosecution.
Similarly, groups have scrutinised the authorities for detaining those arrested for longer than necessary in the past.
Only a couple of months ago, in February, access to dating apps, a vital meeting point for many queer people, was blocked in the country, with the government cracking down on the freedom of LGBTQ+ individuals.
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