Non-muslims nabbed for 'khalwat' in Kelantan

The Star
by SYED AZHAR

KOTA BARU: Four non-Muslims two men on a plane spotting outing and a couple in a park have been issued with summonses for khalwat, a first in the country.

The summonses were for “indecent behaviour” but the four have denied any wrongdoing, claiming instead that the municipal council's enforcement officers “were merely abusing their position”.

State MCA Youth chief Gan Han Chuan said the officers “have gone crazy”, trying to enforce hudud laws on non-Muslims.

“This is a first in history where non-Muslims have been issued summonses for khalwat,” he said.

“It is unbelievable! What they do with their by-laws is now affecting the lives of even the non-Muslims,” Gan said of the two cases which occurred recently.

The incidents came in the wake of a nationwide uproar over the fines imposed on salon operators who allowed their stylists to cut the hair of a customer of a different gender regardless of whether they were Muslims or not.

Most, if not all, of the salons affected were owned by non-Muslims.

In the latest incident, the two men in their 30s were in a car parked beside the Sultan Ismail Petra Airport, watching aeroplanes land in the night, when they were issued with the summonses. The duo claimed that they were not doing anything indecent.

The other two were a 17-year-old male and a 15-year-old girl. They were at the Tengku Anis park in the town centre in the middle of the day when enforcement officers approached them and issued them with summonses for indecent behaviour.

The two incidents have riled up even the National PAS Supporters Congress chairman Hu Pang Chaw. Hu said the male victims had complained to him that the officers had even sought RM500 from the duo “to settle the matter”.

“As far as I know, the council has no right to issue summonses to non-Muslims for close contact with their girlfriends in the dark or out in the open,” he said.

“I believe this by-law only applies to Muslims. And, I cannot understand why the four were issued the summonses,” Hu said, adding that the council cannot impose “khalwat” laws on non-Muslims.

The men have written a letter to council president Fauzi Mat.

Hu said: “This is a serious allegations that needs immediate attention.”