Malaysian authorities have raided and shut down a hotel after receiving complaints that it had described itself as a “gay friendly” establishment on its website.
The 37-room hotel, located in the state of Melaka, was raided just before 11 am on 13 January by the state’s Religious Affairs Department, alongside officers from the local municipal council.
Officials said the raid was carried out under the Shariah Criminal Offences Enactment (State of Melaka), amid suspicions that laws relating to sodomy, attempted sodomy, and “unnatural sexual relations” may have been breached. Convictions under these provisions can carry penalties of up to three years in prison.
Despite the serious allegations, authorities found no guests inside the hotel at the time of the raid. Only one room appeared to have been recently used, with an unmade bed and condoms reportedly discovered.
Licence revoked despite lack of guests
Even so, the local municipal council revoked the hotel’s operating licence, ordering it to remain closed until further notice. Officials said the business would not be allowed to reopen until the owner explains why the hotel was labelled “gay friendly” online.
Authorities reportedly became aware of the hotel after a Malaysian Christian influencer drew attention to it on social media.
Homosexuality has been illegal in Malaysia since 1871, when the country was under British colonial rule. In addition to national laws criminalising same-sex relationships, Muslim Malaysians are also subject to state-level Shariah laws, which can include punishments such as fines, imprisonment, and corporal punishment.
Ongoing moral crackdown
The hotel closure comes amid what many observers describe as an intensifying moral panic around LGBTQ+ people and spaces in Malaysia.
In December, authorities detained 203 men during a raid on a venue alleged to be a gay sauna in Kuala Lumpur. Earlier, in June, 20 men were arrested at what officials initially claimed was a gay house party in the state of Kelantan.
That case later drew embarrassment for authorities after it emerged the gathering was, in fact, a Ministry of Health–approved HIV education event.
More recently, in November, the government pulled a locally produced cartoon from broadcast after an episode featuring two gay fathers aired, having reportedly slipped past state censors.
Human rights groups have repeatedly warned that such crackdowns contribute to fear, stigma, and discrimination against LGBTQ+ people, while doing little to improve public safety or well-being.
