Two men and a woman were detained by the Johor Islamic Religious Affairs Department (JAINJ) after they were suspected of khalwat at a hotel in the state.
According to JAINJ, the three individuals, aged between 18 and 25, were detained during an inspection at about 11.05pm on Friday.
Enforcement officers reportedly had to wait about seven minutes before a man inside the room opened the door.
“After identifying themselves, the officers entered to conduct further checks. The room was dark, illuminated only by light coming from the bathroom,” JAINJ said in a statement shared on social media.
Further inspection found a woman lying on a single bed, while another man was on a mattress placed on the floor.
JAINJ said the three were neither married to one another nor related as mahram.
Checks also found that the room originally had two single beds, but the mattress from one of them had been moved to the floor.
When questioned about why they were together in the room, all three claimed they were merely resting.
JAINJ said the individuals were believed to live not far from the hotel. One was from Muar, while the other two were from nearby areas in the Tangkak district.
The department reminded the public not to take religious boundaries in social interactions lightly, stressing the importance of religious education and parents’ role in shaping their children’s character from an early age.
Anyone with information or wishing to lodge complaints about immoral activities in Johor can contact JAINJ at 07-207 6429. The identities of complainants will be kept confidential.
