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.

The MAC, in a media statement, 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 8 pm to 2 am, was a strategic approach introduced by the Ministry of Health to deliver a more inclusive and community-centred HIV service.

-- BERNAMA