KOTA BARU, July 20 — Three men were fined by the Magistrates’ Court here today for possessing pornographic images and videos on their phones following a police raid during an HIV medical outreach event in June.
Harian Metro reported that the court imposed fines of RM3,000 and RM4,000 respectively — or six months’ imprisonment in default — on the trio after they pleaded guilty to the charges.
“The accused have repented and promised not to repeat the offence. Their families have also pledged to guide them on the right path,” their lawyer Samantha Chong Yin Xin reportedly told the court.
Deputy Public Prosecutors Muhammad Nadzir Abdullah and Nur Haziqah Hassan had urged Magistrate Wan Mohd Izzat Wan Abdullah to impose a deterrent sentence, citing public morality and social norms.
The men, aged 22, 27, and 47, were charged under Section 292 of the Penal Code which handles “sales, etc, or obscene books, etc”. The charge carried a penalty of up to three years in prison, a fine, or both upon conviction.
A coalition of civil society groups had previously urged Kelantan police to revise their statement on a June 2025 raid of an alleged “gay sex party” here, which they clarified was in fact a health outreach event.
The groups, led by transgender rights advocacy group Justice for Sisters, said media reports following the raid resulted in harmful and stigmatising remarks that have intensified fear among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) individuals seeking health services.
The coalition said all attendees tested negative in police-conducted urine tests, and no evidence of sexual activity or promotional content on social media was found.
Three individuals were arrested over personal intimate content on their phones, which the groups described as trumped-up charges.
On Friday, the MAC confirmed that it conducted a night outreach session here on June 17 under the Differentiated HIV Services for Key Populations model.
MAC said the session was in collaboration with Kota Jembal Health Clinic and part of a strategic approach introduced by the Health Ministry.
It said the session was held from 8pm to 2am and had reached over 70 high-risk individuals, with services scheduled outside office hours to improve accessibility.