The ‘morality’ of raiding a men’s wellness centre — Mustafa K. Anuar

The ‘morality’ of raiding a men’s wellness centre — Mustafa K. Anuar


Monday, 08 Dec 2025 3:52 PM MYT


DECEMBER 8 — What has been brought to our attention thus far about the recent raid on a men’s wellness centre in Kuala Lumpur, is, to say the least, disturbing.

The raid on the centre, which the authorities considered a gay sex spot, resulted in 208 people being detained, 24 of whom came from South Korea, Indonesia, Germany and China. Among the Malaysians caught, 17 were civil servants.


It is disturbing, for one thing, because the operation, supposedly aimed at smashing “immoral activities”, was carried out with the presence of media personnel and with videos taken.

The wellness centre couldn’t have been made more “public” as a result of this raid, which was conducted on a public tip-off.


A video that had found its way into the internet bared the identities of the patrons, many of whom were just in their towels.


Without privy to the context, the curious public might have perceived all the men in the video as people who were caught with their pants down, so to speak.

This raid, which had caused deep concern among segments in our society, had already made headlines abroad, in countries such as South Korea, Indonesia, Germany and China. A public spectacle offered beyond borders.


To be sure, the men in towels were in full public glare, exposed to public suspicion and even derision, while their dignity was shredded – in a raid that resulted with no one being charged or convicted.

According to media reports, those detained were generally treated in a way that robbed them of their constitutional rights and human dignity.

This lends credence to the suspicion that a social group perceived to be living outside of society’s norms is likely to be subjected to a treatment that is bereft of compassion, prudence and humanity.



A multi-agency raid on a health centre in Chow Kit in Kuala Lumpur on November 28, 2025, suspected of being a front for homosexual activities, has drawn public ire after officials admitted that none of the over 200 men detained will be charged in court as there were no ‘victims’. —- Bernama pic



Certain individuals, who approached the media, claimed that they went to the wellness centre only to have a regular gym workout and sauna or to get a breather away from the city’s traffic jams in the evening rush hour.

And now, they are being haunted by fears of public shame, of uncertain employment prospects, of broken relationships, of strained family ties and of ostracism. That’s punitive enough for people who did no wrong.

These are not the usual type who were caught with their hands in the cookie jar. Not the ones caught for stealing public funds by the millions, adversely impacting on national development projects for the socio-economic upliftment of the ordinary people.

If “moral policing” is considered necessary by the authorities, then they should train their eyes particularly on the corrupt who fray the moral fibre of our society.

A question that begs to be asked from this episode is, does one get to occupy a higher moral ground by sheer shaming of others?

DAP MPs renew call to reform 'draconian' Sosma

DAP MPs renew call to reform 'draconian' Sosma

Dania Kamal Aryf
Published: Dec 7, 2025 5:51 PM
Updated: 8:51 PM



Two government MPs today urged the Pakatan Harapan-led federal administration to speed up the reform of the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma).

In separate statements, RSN Rayer and Ramkarpal Singh, both from DAP, reminded the government of its commitment to abolish draconian laws that have been “overdue”.

“When we were in the opposition, we talked about Sosma being a draconian law.

“When the Perikatan Nasional administration wanted to extend Sosma’s sunset clause in 2022, we spoke against it and rejected it. We have always been vocal against Sosma.

“So it is time for us to do something about it, now that we are in the government. My demand is that it must be abolished. It is time for the government to walk the talk,” Rayer (above) told Malaysiakini.

The Jelutong MP cited the plight of nine individuals and their families who allegedly fell victim to Sosma abuse.

He said the suspects were initially arrested separately under Section 326 of the Penal Code, for reportedly causing grievous bodily hurt through the use of weapons.

Following this, Rayer explained that the authorities had allegedly failed to secure remand orders from various magistrates’ courts, including in Kulim, Sungai Petani, and Alor Setar.

The suspects’ families were then informed that the nine individuals were charged under Sosma instead, over “suspicions of involvement in organised crime”.

“This is a clear-cut case of abuse… The purpose of using Sosma is to detain without trial, because they are not entitled to apply for bail.

“All those who have previously been arrested under Sosma - not a single case has gone to trial so far,” Rayer said, adding that the Sosma provision that allows suspects to be detained without trial for 28 days is a violation of human rights.

Bail denial, continued detention clauses

Meanwhile, Ramkarpal, who is the Bukit Gelugor MP, called for Sosma to be abolished or at least amended to remove “various draconian features” in the law.

He said many existing provisions in Sosma are “contradictory to the government’s reformist agenda”, especially sections 13 and 30 of the Act.

Bukit Gelugor MP Ramkarpal Singh


Section 13 is a provision that denies bail for individuals detained under Sosma, while Section 30 mandates the continued detention of individuals throughout their entire trial and appeals process, regardless of whether they have been acquitted.

“It is obvious that the said provisions are draconian as they completely remove the discretion of the courts in the granting of bail and the remand of persons acquitted of security offences, which also offends the principle of separation of powers,” he said.

Further, Ramkarpal said he had pushed for the provisions to be amended during his time as deputy law minister in 2023, and cautioned against further delay.

“Since stakeholder engagements have already been held since at least 2023, there is no reason to further delay these amendments, which can easily be done in the next Parliamentary sitting in February 2026.

“In the circumstances, I call on the government to announce if Sosma will be repealed or at least be amended and if so, when, as the matter is long overdue,” he stressed.

Committee urges faster Sosma reforms

Last week, the Parliamentary Special Select Committee on Human Rights, Election, and Institutional Reform recommended several amendments to the Act following a series of meetings with stakeholders.

Its chairperson, William Leong, reportedly said the committee recommended the government undertake eight strategic proposals to improve the implementation of the Act.

Selayang MP William Leong Jee Keen


He noted that while Sosma was enacted to address offences related to national security, organised crime, and serious threats involving public interest and national sovereignty, its implementation has raised questions from various parties.

Such concerns, he said, cover issues related to justice, transparency, and the protection of human rights, including the issue of detention up to 28 days without judicial review, prohibition of bail, and limited access to legal counsel.

Leong also urged the Home Ministry to consider setting up a shorter timeline to implement the Sosma amendments, so that legal reforms can be executed transparently and in phases.

Anwar Pleased With Ministers’ Performance So Far, Said All Of Them Did Well

Weirdkaya:

Anwar Pleased With Ministers’ Performance So Far, Said All Of Them Did Well


Sarah Yeoh

December 8, 2025

Cover image via FB/Anwar IbrahimMalay Mail


Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has given all ministers in his Cabinet a solid ‘A’ grade for their midterm performance so far.

He made the commendation during a town-hall event named Rancakkan Madani at Dataran Putrajaya yesterday (Dec 7), reported Malay Mail.

‘None of them failed’

At the event, Anwar said the ministers’ effectiveness could be judged by whether national policies focused on human values have helped improve Malaysians’ overall well-being instead of solely relying on economic figures.

None of the ministers lagged behind. I analyse every single ministry in detail. So I agreed with the chief secretary’s suggestion to hold these events so we can communicate our achievements.”

Photo via FB/Anwar Ibrahim


“And you evaluate this yourself, and not just the data. Because data can be misleading, some countries record massive growth but poverty remains a problem; a country can be the richest in the world, yet homelessness there is everywhere.

“So evaluate (their policies) through the values of humanity, and the values of humanity means leaving nobody behind,” he said.

Anwar also cited recent successes such as economic growth, the Ringgit’s appreciation, and organising the 46th and 47th Asean Summit.

For illustration purposes only. Photo via Canva


“It has been three years, a very short time, but I am blessed by Allah and must express my deepest appreciation for friends in the Cabinet, civil servants and the people who help the Madani government to lift Malaysia’s dignity.


“Thanks to political stability, we have managed to craft a national policy and execute it in the best possible way not just for growth, but also for the people’s wellbeing.”


Growing discontent?

Anwar’s comments come at a time where the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition experienced its worst electoral performance in history, with PKR winning a single seat while DAP was completely annihilated in the recent Sabah state election.

Photo via The Borneo Post


The pressure was further amped up when MCA president Wee Ka Siong urged Anwar to remove Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek from her position, claiming she was “ineffective” despite being given one of the largest allocations to date.

High Court orders RM31m compensation for family of missing pastor Raymond Koh, to be held in Amanah Raya trust

High Court orders RM31m compensation for family of missing pastor Raymond Koh, to be held in Amanah Raya trust



The choice of trustee was based on its low management fees and a guarantee to return the money if the ruling is appealed. — Picture by Shafwan Zaidon

Monday, 08 Dec 2025 2:01 PM MYT


KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 8 — The High Court today ordered that the over RM31 million in damages awarded to Pastor Raymond Koh be placed in a trust with Amanah Raya Berhad.

Lawyer Datuk Jerald Gomez, representing Koh’s wife Susanna Liew Sow Yoke, said Judge Su Tiang Joo issued the order following an agreement with senior federal counsel Nurul Farhana Khalid, representing the government and Royal Malaysia Police.

“Amanah Raya Berhad is appointed to hold the money and any interest as trustee for the first plaintiff (Koh) until his whereabouts can be identified or revealed,” he told reporters after the proceedings.

The choice of trustee, Jerald explained, was based on its low management fees and a guarantee to return the money if the ruling is appealed.


The move complies with Judge Su’s Nov 5 order to deposit the funds into a trustee account until Koh’s whereabouts are confirmed or disclosed.

The sum comprises general damages of RM10,000 per day from Feb 13, 2017, until Koh’s whereabouts are disclosed, RM1 million in damages, and RM1 million in exemplary damages.

In an application on November 28, Liew had requested that her law firm, Messrs Jerald Gomez & Associates, be appointed as the trustee.


She also proposed PB Trustee Services Berhad and Amanah Raya Berhad as alternative options should the court not appoint the law firm.

Liew had filed the suit against the police and the government concerning her husband’s disappearance and the authorities’ handling of the investigation.

Koh was reported to have been abducted by a group of masked men while driving in Kelana Jaya, near here, on February 13, 2017. — Bernama

Ramasamy peeps into prospect of a DAP turnaround after “re-awakening” from its deep slumber

Ramasamy peeps into prospect of a DAP turnaround after “re-awakening” from its deep slumber

By Prof Ramasamy Palanisamy
2 hours ago





DAP leaders having Rip Van Winkled for more than three years have finally realised that the party is being subjugated by other political forces aligned to the Pakatan Harapan (PH)-led coalition.


The Sabah state election which resulted in DAP emerging empty handed from the eight seats it contested – despite being incumbents in six of the seats – was an eye-opener.

Whether the present re-awakening of DAP can reverse its political fortunes not only in Sabah but also the peninsula remains to be seen.



What was most unacceptable was not such much the loss but the desertion of its traditional Chinese supporters.

The Chinese Tsunami against the DAP might have far reaching geographical effect although sone political commentators tend to see it as only confined to Sabah

Nevertheless, the shock of DAP being wiped out in Sabah has led to some its leaders urging the Madani government helmed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to implement viable reforms.

The PH-led coalition came to power in 2022 with the promise of grandiose PMX mantra of far-reaching reforms.

‘Sudden Indian community embrace’

However, the coalition’s last three years in power has revealed that such reform agenda has been side-stepped and forgotten.

The need to stay in power and to prolong its stay has become the sole pre-occupation of the ruling coalition.

The party’s secretary-general Anthony Loke Siew Fook’s promise of reforms to avert the growing unpopularity of DAP has fallen on the deaf ears of Anwar.

Having subdued the DAP, Anwar is least bothered about the grievances aired by the party leaders.

Meanwhile, some DAP Indian leaders who are aware of the growing disenchantment of Indians towards the ruling coalition and its partners like DAP are beginning to speak on behalf of the community.



One leader marched along with aggrieved Ipoh kindergarten teacher M. Indira Gandhi to unsuccessfully meet up with the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Datuk Seri Khalid Ismail in Bukit Aman..

Another DAP Cabinet minister spoke about the extra-judicial killings of Indians by the police.

Gobind Singh Deo

on Friday

PRESS RELEASE: MINISTER OF DIGITAL WELCOMES YAB PM’S ORDER FOR TRANSPARENT PROBE ON MELAKA SHOOTING; DEMANDS IMMEDIATE END TO POLICE BRUTALITY AND CUSTODIAL DEATHS

27

1

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An MP in Penang who never bothered about the problems of the Indian community called for the temporary suspension of SOSMA until amendments are passed in the Parliament.

Free Malaysia Today

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#FMTNews Suspend use of Sosma until amendments passed, Rayer urges govt

freemalaysiatoday.com

Suspend use of Sosma until amendments passed, Rayer urges govt

The DAP MP wants his party's ministers to raise the matter at the next Cabinet meeting.

5:35 PM · Dec 7, 2025

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It soon became clear that he was not speaking on behalf of the Indian community but his clients who were the family members of those detained under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 a.k.a. SOSMA.

In other words, he sought to represent his paying clients rather than genuinely take up the case of arbitrary arrests and detentions under the dreaded SOSMA.

In same path as UMNO, MCA, MIC

There is feeling among some DAP leaders that taking up a few society-related matters might ingratiate the party with the public especially the subaltern sections.

Unknown to the pretensions of these leaders and others, working in spurts is hardly the way to revive DAP.

Essentially, DAP is victim of generational changes. What appealed to the earlier generations when DAP was in the opposition might be different to the appeals of the present generation especially when DAP is in power.



Already heavily ensconced in power, positions and perks, today’s party leaders might not be under the same political, social and cultural circumstances of its yesteryear popularity.

It took the MCA, MIC, Gerakan and UMNO a few decades in power to witness their political decline. The logic of history is going to be the same for DAP – the vicious cycle trap.

Holding power is both enthralling and dangerous. The longer DAP stays in power, the faster the party is going to go down the path of no return.

It is said that a candle burns the brightest before it fades away to be extinguished. This analogy fits the demise of political parties such as the MCA, MIC and UMNO with now DAP walking a similar path. – Dec 8, 2025



Former DAP stalwart and Penang deputy chief minister II Prof Ramasamy Palanisamy is chairman of the United Rights of Malaysian Party (Urimai) interim council.

Where was your report when it mattered, lawyer asks Rafizi

Where was your report when it mattered, lawyer asks Rafizi


Published: Dec 8, 2025 8:30 AM
Updated: 1:25 PM



Senior lawyer Haniff Khatri Abdulla has taken former minister Rafizi Ramli to task for not lodging a report with the MACC when Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim allegedly used the anti-graft agency to influence the PKR polls in May.

He said whether the MACC would have acted on the complaint was “secondary”, stressing that Rafizi should have done the right thing at the time instead of raising the matter seven months later.

“If this allegation is true, and there were grounds to investigate the prime minister for abuse of power under the MACC Act, a report should have been filed,” Haniff said on a podcast.

Haniff was responding to Rafizi’s claim that PKR members who contested against candidates aligned with Anwar’s daughter, Nurul Izzah, had found themselves in MACC’s crosshairs.

Rafizi, who lost his PKR deputy presidency to Nurul Izzah, cited an alleged incident during the party polls in which a candidate aligned with him was detained and investigated by MACC over the cash purchase of an auctioned house.

Former minister Rafizi Ramli


He claimed the individual - whom he did not name - had his home surrounded by MACC officers, leaving the man’s wife and children terrified.

Elaborating, Haniff said both the candidate and Rafizi should have lodged reports at the time, all the more so because Rafizi was still a minister then.

“If we want to oppose wrongdoing, it must be done at the moment it occurs, even if we are ministers. So why didn’t you report it then, or even a month later, after you stepped down?

“How can people respect your principles when you fail to act at the right time? The public cannot accept this kind of politics - staying silent about alleged wrongdoing while in power,” he said.


‘Need more MPs like Hassan’

Haniff also referenced Rafizi’s criticism over judicial appointments and the extension of MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki’s contract.

He asked if the Pandan lawmaker, who had vowed to arrest Azam if Pakatan Harapan came into power before the last general election, had raised his concerns during the weekly cabinet meetings when he was still a minister.

“If he didn’t do so, then Rafizi has no right to talk about these things now.

“This is why I often say politics in Malaysia is in the doldrums. Because when political leaders should raise issues, they keep quiet, except for one person - PKR lawmaker Hassan Karim.

“We need 10 or 15 MPs like Hassan,” he said, in reference to the Pasir Gudang MP, who is perceived as a rebel for not toeing the party or government line on numerous issues.

MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki


On the same note, Haniff said it is not too late for Rafizi or the PKR candidate to lodge reports with the police and MACC, and to press for a special investigation panel to be formed by the Attorney-General’s Chambers to look into the allegations against Anwar and Azam.

At the same time, the lawyer said the panel should also probe the videos related to a conversation between businessperson Albert Tei, who exposed the Sabah mining scandal, and a woman accused of being a proxy of Anwar’s former political aide, Shamsul Iskandar Akin, in which Anwar and Azam were implicated.

What's the point of DAP remaining in Madani?

What's the point of DAP remaining in Madani?

S Thayaparan
Published: Dec 8, 2025 9:00 AM
Updated: 12:00 PM



“We should not bow to fate, and have the right to equality. We should not kneel and beg. We should be brave enough to stand and ask for it.”

- Lim Guan Eng (2012)

COMMENT | Since the so-called Sabah slap, DAP operatives have been going on a performative spree. DAP MPs have been busy demonstrating that they are taking the government to task, especially when it comes to issues affecting non-bumiputera.

Not only is it performative, but it is also rather comical.

I think the apogee of the DAP kowtowing to Madani was the complete silence by the DAP youth and sports minister when the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM)/International Federation of Association Football (Fifa) scandal was playing out, and then the fait accompli “clutch my pearls” statements from the minister when it was obvious that the dust was not settling.

At this point, there is a litany of dismal peaks that rational Malaysians can point to where the DAP has not served the rakyat when it comes to accountability, the promotion of democratic values, and, of course, lessening the impact of theocratic imperatives in mainstream Malaysian politics.

The suspended seven


DAP politicians, apparatchiks, and online trolls smugly ask if not the DAP, who can the “Nons” vote for? It is either the DAP or a theocratic state.

The online harassment of third-party candidates, as well as the demeaning of so-called mosquito parties and outliers speaking against the double talk of the DAP, is a testament that the Nons have shot themselves in the foot when it comes to viable alternatives to legacy parties.

None of these trolls will ever acknowledge that the DAP, by kowtowing to Madani, is speeding up the Islamic state project.

None of these cretins will ever acknowledge that while the average rakyat who supports the DAP does not have the option of leaving this country, many mandarins and power brokers in the DAP shape party politics and have the means to leave when the theocratic state comes.

The most damning thing about the video clip of Karpal Singh that was unearthed recently was that it demonstrated how the party leadership abandoned him when he was fighting the right fight.

READ MORE: Sangeet recalls Karpal’s fiery dressing-down of Anwar

Some folks think that was in response to the recent Sabah slap and how DAP is supposed to be standing up to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, but I think it is a reminder that the DAP’s political class and culture have a history of not supporting righteous causes and indulging in political expediency while abandoning right-minded comrades.

This is what destroys a party, because there are always voices in political parties who speak up on foundational principles, but they are sidelined by those who have tasted the perks and privileges that come with power.

DAP candidates in the recent Sabah election


DAP adviser Lim Guan Eng babbles on about how DAP was rejected in Sabah because of taxes, which displays how out of touch the leadership of the DAP is with the groundswell of anti-establishment sentiment there is in this country.

The problem is not that some feel that Anwar has not done enough, but rather that he has done too much to appease a right-wing, theocratic state-in-waiting.

And please do not think of this as solely a non-Malay issue. The fact is, democratic principles and secular values would benefit a majority of Malays if only the DAP had the cojones to stay the course.

People are tired of this Madani nonsense, and they will turn to parties they think will make their lives better. For the majority community, this comes with an Islamic imperative, an imperative which should have been controlled under Madani with the aid of the DAP, but which wasn’t.


Corporate interest over community voice

I guess the point of DAP remaining in Madani is that the party gets a property czar, for example. What the DAP should be advocating for and has done so in the past is local council elections.

Instead of a local council election, which acts as a check-and-balance to a whole range of issues, and where communities determine what the places they live in need, we get the Urban Renewal Act (URA), which concentrates power in the hands of government and where backchanneling, backroom deals, and corporate malfeasance get a fig leaf of legality.

Do you know why Malay uber alles politicians play the race card when it comes to local council elections?

They want to destroy democratic opportunities where the Malays, especially if they are a minority in certain areas, understand that their welfare is safeguarded by a non-Malay majority.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Housing Minister Nga Kor Ming with photos of property that the Urban Renewal Act aims to refurbish.

Because once this happens, all bets are off. This is why politics is always local.

So, instead of laying the foundation for more democratic engagement, which would benefit the political party but more importantly the rakyat, what we get is a property czar working in concert with corporate interests and the political class, which adversely affects the average Malay rakyat, who then succumbs to the race and religious dialectic of the opposition.


Religious overreach

I do not mean to pour cold water on Ramkarpal Singh dressing down the home minister for that health spa raid, but the reality is that Madani is playing the religious card by persecuting the LGBTQ+ community. Reportage of the raid indicates how Nons were caught up in this.

The home minister has the gumption to claim no religion supports this activity, which basically sets the precedent that Islamic laws and norms apply to the Nons. See how dangerous this has become?

This home minister should be under investigation for his role in the FAM/Fifa scandal; hence, DAP should be pushing for him to be replaced. Is this a shocking thing to say?

Politicians, especially those in the ruling party, replacing ministers who are not performing or engaging in malfeasance, is a shocking thing to advocate? This, of course, is a normal process in any functional democracy.

And of course, the behaviour of the Royal Malaysia Police, which is getting iron-clad support from the home minister, is the reason why this country needs an Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC).


Blind loyalty erodes integrity

Since the DAP is a stand-in for the Chinese community, they will be accused of controlling the government and any other racist propaganda the Malay establishment will throw at them. So what?

Look, the DAP is going to be demonised anyway. Political opportunists like Umno Youth chief Akmal Saleh understand that it really does not matter what they do because the DAP support base will not punish the DAP, unlike the Malay majority polity, who have demonstrated their willingness to shift their support to whatever reactionary Malay/Muslim party they think best serves their interests.

DAP supporters are always asking for solutions. The problem is that they don’t really want solutions because DAP, as a party, had the solutions. They had politicians who were willing to carry them out if given a chance.

What changed? The DAP realised that they could do whatever they wanted, discard any principle, kowtow to anything the Malay establishment wanted, and their supporters would still vote them in.

If the DAP were really serious about reforming the party and the country, they would be asking themselves the same question, rational Malaysians are asking: What is the point of remaining in Madani?

S THAYAPARAN is commander (Rtd) of the Royal Malaysian Navy. Fīat jūstitia ruat cælum - “Let justice be done though the heavens fall.”