“I take the detention of the 203 men, aged 19 to 60, very seriously. This case involves immoral activities that contradict religious values, societal ethics and the laws of the country,” he said in a statement tonight, Bernama reported.
“Don’t take lightly the issue of moral decay, which can harm future generations and undermine the nation’s dignity.
“We aim to build a progressive Malaysia with strong values and high moral standards. May Allah protect us from moral corruption and guide us back to our natural values.”
He said the Muslim men detained had been issued a notice to make a statement to the authorities for further investigations.
The operation, named “Op Songsang”, was conducted by the police together with other agencies, including the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL), the health ministry and the federal territories Islamic religious department (Jawi).
Seventeen of those arrested were civil servants, including surgeons, deputy public prosecutors, teachers and enforcement personnel.
Kuala Lumpur deputy police chief Azani Omar said surveillance on the two-storey premises on Jalan Raja Laut had been carried out for two weeks, based on public information. The operation uncovered that the premises were involved in activities linked to same-sex relationships.
Na’im added that the investigation was conducted under the Syariah Criminal Offences (Federal Territories) Act 1997, including provisions on sodomy and attempted sodomy.
The investigation revealed that the premises operated under a legitimate licence as a gym, sauna and fitness centre.
However, it was suspected to be promoting activities that violated both the law and societal ethics, Naim said. As a result, DBKL is in the process of revoking the premises’ operating licence.
“The involvement of civil servants is deeply troubling, and this highlights the need for stronger measures to address ethical and integrity issues within the public service,” Na’im added.
Na’im also instructed Jakim, Jawi and other agencies to strengthen their prevention and ethics programmes, particularly for youths and professionals in urban communities.