Gangsters in Robes

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Gangsters in Robes: A Reflection on Religious Enforcement in Malaysia

NSFW 18+ Disclaimer

This post contains real stories involving violence, sexual content, and systemic critique. Do not republish or steal without permission. If you want to understand it, talk to me directly.

Let’s Be Real

Violence, gore, sexual content—whatever the genre, 18+ material is everywhere. What’s not normal is when young people fall deep into that rabbit hole without guidance. But let’s be honest: in my area, many 16-year-olds are already sexually active. I won’t name names, but it’s happening—even among Muslims.

So, is it the religious authorities’ job to interfere? I’m not sure. Should we be paying religious officers to police morality, or should we cut that out entirely and focus on educating youth about the pros and cons of being sexually active at a young age? Personally, I’d choose education.

My hard-earned tax money goes to religious officers who arrest people for khalwat—cases that have nothing to do with me. That doesn’t sit right.

Story One: The Park Incident

During our studies, we encountered a Muslim couple in one of the most religiously conservative areas in Klang Valley. Out of respect, I won’t name names or pinpoint the location. Because if I do, the usual suspects will swoop in, witch-hunt the area, and parade it in the press like they’ve done their job—“Yay us, the religious police!” No. That’s not accountability. That’s performance.

We didn’t know if the couple was married or not. But they were engaging in sexual activity in broad daylight, in a public park located in a T20 neighborhood. We were there trying to find a quiet spot to work on our assignments. Then we saw it.

The woman was wearing a niqab. The man was inside it. I won’t go into detail about what happened inside, but she stood still under a gazebo while something moved beneath her niqab. It was disturbing. One of us asked, “Kenapa tudung dia gerak-gerak?” Another replied, “I don’t know.” Then, suddenly, he popped out from under her niqab.

Was it embarrassing? Yes.
Should the couple have been caught by the religious police? No.

If they were married, then shame on anyone who interfered. If they weren’t, maybe Allah will judge accordingly—perhaps even thank you on His behalf. But from my perspective, it was still an invasion of privacy and a distasteful act.

Maybe, in Allah’s eyes, their actions are seen as holy. I don’t know. I’m just a mere mortal. To me, it was humiliating. And for that reason alone, no one should interfere. Because we don't know the full story. Therefore, we can't pass judgment.

Story Two: The Hotel Raid

I was out shooting for an assignment project. It was nighttime, and for us, traveling at that hour as students was highly inadvisable. So we decided to lodge at a hotel. It wasn’t fancy—not even close to a three-star quality—but we were tired and chose to stay there.

That night, we pulled out our laptops and played Ragnarok Online or Dota 2. Then we heard a violent knock—not on our door, but on one down the hallway.

“Bukak, pintu ni,” they said.
“Kami terima aduan,” they repeated.

The couple inside refused to open the door. I was scared. The knocking was aggressive, and the door, though not flimsy, wasn’t exactly sturdy either. My friend asked, “Ini ke cara JAIS tangkap khalwat?”
I nodded. “Yeah. I’ve never experienced it before, but now—I think it’s inhumane.”

Eventually, they forced the door open. I didn’t witness the whole thing, but my friend did. They stepped out of our room and watched the scene unfold.

“Kenapa ni bang?” they asked.
“Isteri dia report,” the officer replied. “Tapi belum kenal pasti lagi.”

Like I said, I didn’t see everything. It was too frightening. So I stayed in the room and continued playing my MMORPG.

A few minutes later, my friend returned and said, “They decided to turn themselves in.”
I asked, “Curang ke?”
“They don’t know,” they replied.

At that moment, I knew I would never want my child to be born into this system. Even though I wasn’t the one being apprehended, the experience felt deeply inhumane. Imagine the couple—humiliated in public, stripped of dignity.

Does it matter whether they were married or not? No.
Did the officers need to barge into a hotel where other guests were staying? Absolutely not.
It should have remained a private matter.

There was no need for the wife to report to religious authorities. That was a sign for her to walk away—to seek a divorce. I realized then that maybe she was clinging to a toxic relationship. Maybe she was poor, without income or support. Reporting him gave her a sliver of hope—that he might change, or see her differently. But no.

Just walk away.

From that experience, I’d rather see my tax money go toward women’s empowerment than religious enforcement. The root cause is her defenselessness. No income of her own. No autonomy.

It’s easier to watch raid videos through your TikTok or YouTube feed. Because you don’t feel it—you don’t experience it. But it was deeply inhumane.

Story Three: Nur Sajat and the LGBTQ Reality

This may be an unpopular opinion, but it’s my honest reflection on what’s happening around us in Malaysia—particularly with the growing visibility of the LGBTQ community.

Take Nur Sajat as an example. She stated that she was born male, but after reaching puberty, she began to feel more feminine. Her medical records reportedly identify her as khunsa. In Islamic jurisprudence, khunsa refers to someone born with ambiguous sex characteristics—medically known as a Disorder of Sex Development (DSD). In some cases, dominant sex traits only become apparent during puberty, such as the emergence of female secondary sex characteristics or menstruation, which can help determine gender identity.

In 2021, Nur Sajat’s home was raided multiple times by religious officers. She became estranged from her birth parents and her adopted child. After fleeing to Thailand, she eventually sought asylum in Australia. During her arrest, she claimed that religious officers groped her breasts and stripped her naked to confirm her private parts. Her mother witnessed the assault. These details were documented in a New York Times interview.

This is the brutal reality of how religious enforcement can operate. They don’t just invade your paid private space—they assert dominance through physical and emotional violation.

Why must she be publicly humiliated just to prove she has female organs or has undergone surgery? It’s unnecessary. Her body is her temple. If she identifies as female, then let her be female. Some religious authorities condemn this, claiming it goes against religious beliefs. But if it’s medically proven that she suffers from DSD—who are we to judge?

Even the National Registration Department (JPN) refused her request for a legal sex change. She was unable to find a partner or get married. This is the raw truth.

When members of the LGBTQ community are denied access to employment, healthcare, and legal recognition, many are forced into prostitution just to survive. And ironically, it’s often straight men who seek them out. Yes—straight men. Because society discriminates against their existence, we create the conditions for another crisis: the spread of STDs.

My Stand

Should our hard-earned tax money go to these religious bodies?
No.

They operate like gangsters in robes—don’t they?

If their existence is deemed necessary in Malaysia, then I call for a different approach:
Defend the people who are defenseless.


These are my personal memories and lived experiences. You are not permitted to reproduce, adapt, or portray this scene in any form of media, out of respect for my reality. The original publisher is still alive. Any similarities or resemblances to this story will be regarded as a violation, and I will pursue legal action accordingly. It is unacceptable to misrepresent or claim my life experience as your own.
If you wish to contact me, please do so respectfully via email: nilhdaf@gmail.com

Do not depict my painful experience in any media format, including films resembling Pekak.

Image Source: Canva
Proofreader: Microsoft Copilot


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