Straight man caught in police's 'queer' raid
Yiswaree Palansamy & Ayesha Sheik Mazrul
Published: Dec 3, 2025 8:05 PM
Updated: 11:05 PM
For Mike (pseudonym), a young consultant, Nov 28 began as unremarkably as any other day.
Eager for a calm Friday evening, he was delighted to find an advert on a social media platform, offering RM35-per-entry access to a gym in Kuala Lumpur, boasting a range of wellness facilities that would usually come at a much higher price.
As a fitness enthusiast who loves a good deal, it immediately caught his eye.
What he thought was a simple bargain would, without warning, upend his life. That night, the police raided the centre, alleging it was a gathering place for gay men engaging in sexual acts.
They said the raid stemmed from a public tip-off, backed by two weeks of surveillance. And the operation’s name? Ops Songsang.
Mike insists that he’s a straight man whose only misfortune was finding himself at the wrong place and time.
“I am a straight man, now having to face consequences simply for being in a licensed wellness centre, minding my business, eating my biscuit at the cafe area.
“So I went to the gym, into the steam room. After that, I felt very hot, so I went to the cafeteria, and I was in a towel, of course. That is not called being naked. Literally just men in towels, in a men-only wellness centre.
“So you can see from the videos which were viralled, saying, naked, naked. There is one uncensored video that shows a guy naked, and that is because he was in a jacuzzi. Jacuzzi. Impossible to wear the towel right? How do people cover themselves in a jacuzzi? This is ridiculous, right?
“So, unfortunately, when the men in the jacuzzi stood up, the police were already taking video,” Mike told Malaysiakini when met recently.
Trouble began
He said that his nightmare began from then on.
Mike said the police then began separating Muslims from non-Muslims and had also picked out civil servants, and alleged that they were subjected to dehumanising questions and treatment.
Before joining the line, however, he managed to slip into the toilet with his phone hidden in his underwear and send a quick message to his family, assuring them of his safety and hoping to spare them any worry, as he believed he would be released soon - only for those hopes to be dashed.
“I was supposed to have dinner with them that night before this happened.
“They confiscated our phones. In the basket, all the phones in the basket and IC all confiscated.
“So, for one day we didn’t go back home,” he said, claiming that many family members of the detained men - including his parents - had resorted to filing missing persons reports.
Yesterday, Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail defended the police’s action in raiding the premises.
He claimed the raid, which resulted in the arrest of over 200 individuals, did not violate their privacy.
Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail
“Privacy is when a person is alone at home. This is a public premises with 201 people, what privacy are we talking about?
“It is an immoral act that cannot be defended by any religion,” he said.
READ MORE: Not your job to pass judgment on health club raid, Ramkarpal pans Saifuddin
‘Chinese can get out’
During his detention, Mike said he also asked a police officer when he could go home.
The officer then allegedly told him, “Chinese people, no problem. Very fast. You can get out.”
He claimed that the officer again reassured him, saying, “It’s okay, you’re Chinese, you can get out quickly. Chinese won’t have problems.”
Based on what the police told him, Mike felt hopeful that this brief ordeal - which he believed was a misunderstanding - would soon be over. He did not inform his family that he was detained; he simply told them he would be late getting home.
But on Nov 29, that changed.
“So after all the procedures were done, around 2-3pm, I asked the officer when I could go back. She said, ‘Cannot go back. We want to lock you up, and we want to get the remand order’,” he claimed.
Presumed gay, subject to explicit questions
When finally called to give his statement, Mike said he was appalled by the “extremely inappropriate” questions asked by the investigating officer.
He claimed that he was subjected to a series of deeply personal and graphic questions about the alleged incident, including whether he had sex at the club, what position he used, and whether oral or anal sex had occurred.
He said the questioning became increasingly explicit when he was asked where he ejaculated, specifically whether it was in the mouth or on the face.
Disturbingly, Mike said he was asked to imitate sexual sounds after he told the officers he heard voices or noises. He was reportedly asked how he knew they were sexual in nature, to which Mike said he simply heard a voice.
READ MORE: MOHE officer nabbed in 'gay' sauna raid told to resign, but questions remain
The male officer then allegedly asked Mike to recreate the sounds he heard.
“I don’t know why. How does this help their investigation? Why would they want me to moan?” Mike asked.
On Dec 1, PSM Youth’s deputy chairperson Aiman Sees claimed they were informed of alleged police brutality during the raid and that the suspects’ basic and legal rights were ignored.
However, Dang Wangi police chief Sazalee Adam denied this when contacted.
“Privacy is when a person is alone at home. This is a public premises with 201 people, what privacy are we talking about?
“It is an immoral act that cannot be defended by any religion,” he said.
READ MORE: Not your job to pass judgment on health club raid, Ramkarpal pans Saifuddin
‘Chinese can get out’
During his detention, Mike said he also asked a police officer when he could go home.
The officer then allegedly told him, “Chinese people, no problem. Very fast. You can get out.”
He claimed that the officer again reassured him, saying, “It’s okay, you’re Chinese, you can get out quickly. Chinese won’t have problems.”
Based on what the police told him, Mike felt hopeful that this brief ordeal - which he believed was a misunderstanding - would soon be over. He did not inform his family that he was detained; he simply told them he would be late getting home.
But on Nov 29, that changed.
“So after all the procedures were done, around 2-3pm, I asked the officer when I could go back. She said, ‘Cannot go back. We want to lock you up, and we want to get the remand order’,” he claimed.
Presumed gay, subject to explicit questions
When finally called to give his statement, Mike said he was appalled by the “extremely inappropriate” questions asked by the investigating officer.
He claimed that he was subjected to a series of deeply personal and graphic questions about the alleged incident, including whether he had sex at the club, what position he used, and whether oral or anal sex had occurred.
He said the questioning became increasingly explicit when he was asked where he ejaculated, specifically whether it was in the mouth or on the face.
Disturbingly, Mike said he was asked to imitate sexual sounds after he told the officers he heard voices or noises. He was reportedly asked how he knew they were sexual in nature, to which Mike said he simply heard a voice.
READ MORE: MOHE officer nabbed in 'gay' sauna raid told to resign, but questions remain
The male officer then allegedly asked Mike to recreate the sounds he heard.
“I don’t know why. How does this help their investigation? Why would they want me to moan?” Mike asked.
On Dec 1, PSM Youth’s deputy chairperson Aiman Sees claimed they were informed of alleged police brutality during the raid and that the suspects’ basic and legal rights were ignored.
However, Dang Wangi police chief Sazalee Adam denied this when contacted.
Sazalee Adam
A raid that led to nowhere
Kuala Lumpur police chief Fadil Marsus confirmed that 171 suspects were later released, as the authorities failed to obtain a remand order, New Straits Times reported.
He said their remand application was dismissed as it was submitted late, which he claimed was due to the large number of detainees, and that the authorities could not proceed with their investigations under Sections 377 and 372 of the Penal Code due to a lack of evidence.
He added that the authorities could not charge any of the detainees as none of them claimed to be victims of exploitation, prostitution, or unnatural sex.
Kuala Lumpur deputy police chief Azani Omar previously said that of the over 200 detained, 80 were Muslims and foreigners from South Korea, Indonesia, Germany, and China.
Lifelong trauma
Mike said the incident has left him considering mental health counselling, and he now struggles to be in public places after what he described as “40 hours of trauma”.
At home, his relationship between his parents and siblings has become strained.
“My mother checks on me too often now, and seems suspicious whenever I go out.
“I feel my siblings look at me, questioning in their minds: ‘Why is my brother like this?’
“Imagination is not evidence. Perception has dragged me through the mud and affected me and the others,” Mike added.
A raid that led to nowhere
Kuala Lumpur police chief Fadil Marsus confirmed that 171 suspects were later released, as the authorities failed to obtain a remand order, New Straits Times reported.
He said their remand application was dismissed as it was submitted late, which he claimed was due to the large number of detainees, and that the authorities could not proceed with their investigations under Sections 377 and 372 of the Penal Code due to a lack of evidence.
He added that the authorities could not charge any of the detainees as none of them claimed to be victims of exploitation, prostitution, or unnatural sex.
Kuala Lumpur deputy police chief Azani Omar previously said that of the over 200 detained, 80 were Muslims and foreigners from South Korea, Indonesia, Germany, and China.
Lifelong trauma
Mike said the incident has left him considering mental health counselling, and he now struggles to be in public places after what he described as “40 hours of trauma”.
At home, his relationship between his parents and siblings has become strained.
“My mother checks on me too often now, and seems suspicious whenever I go out.
“I feel my siblings look at me, questioning in their minds: ‘Why is my brother like this?’
“Imagination is not evidence. Perception has dragged me through the mud and affected me and the others,” Mike added.
***
All because of a group of people religiously hell-bent obsessed with sexual imaginations
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