KOTA BHARU — The Kelantan government has expressed its willingness to meet with all relevant parties, including the police and the Malaysian AIDS Council (MAC), to discuss the recent organisation of an LGBT-related event in Kota Bharu.
Kelantan Deputy Menteri Besar Datuk Dr Mohamed Fadzli Hassan said the meeting aims to clarify the circumstances surrounding the event and resolve the issue diplomatically, while dispelling any unfounded allegations.
“Perhaps the mistake wasn’t the organiser’s. That’s why the matter needs to be investigated first, so that the police are not wrongly blamed by the public. The police have their role, and MAC has its responsibilities,” he told reporters after the Kelantan State Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting at the Kota Darulnaim Complex today.
He added that any programme that contravenes state policies or Kelantanese customs “simply cannot be accepted.”
For events involving sensitive issues, particularly those held in local communities, he stressed that prior approval must be obtained from the relevant authorities, including the Kelantan Islamic Religious Affairs Department (JAHEIK), the police, and others.
Fadzli added that the state government may also take appropriate action if any programme is found to have violated regulations.
In mid-June, Kelantan police raided a gathering involving over 20 local men at a bungalow in Jalan Kemumin, Kota Bharu, after receiving public tip-offs and conducting surveillance through a special task force.
State police chief Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat said the operation was carried out in response to complaints about the event. During the raid, police found hundreds of condoms and several boxes of HIV medication stored in a room believed to have been used by the organisers.
In response, the MAC said in a statement that it had conducted an outreach session on June 17 in Kemumin, aimed at engaging high-risk communities as part of national HIV prevention efforts.
The programme, which ran from 8pm to 2am, was described as a strategic initiative introduced by the Ministry of Health to deliver inclusive, community-based HIV services. — July 21, 2025