Cover image via 
Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and WhatsApp for the latest stories and breaking news.
The Malaysian AIDS Council (MAC) has clarified that what was reported by police as a "secret gathering" in Kota Bharu, Kelantan was, in fact, a medical outreach programme aimed at serving high-risk communities
In a statement released on 18 July, MAC explained that the session, held from 8pm to 2am on 17 June, was part of its ongoing field outreach sessions under the Health Ministry's Differentiated HIV Services for Key Populations (DHSKP) model.
The DHSKP model is a strategic approach designed to ensure that HIV prevention and treatment services are community-centred, effective and inclusive, it said.
"We strongly urge that programmes such as this not be misrepresented or unnecessarily politicised, as such actions may disrupt collective efforts to tackle HIV in Malaysia.
"Instead, community-based approaches like DHSKP should receive broad support as a proven and effective strategy to end AIDS by 2030," it added in the statement.
MAC said the programme was conducted in the evening, outside regular office hours, to allow working individuals to attend
The council added that the session reached 70 individuals from vulnerable groups.
It added that the programme was conducted in collaboration with Klinik Kesihatan Kota Jembal, offering vital HIV prevention information, screening, treatment, and counselling.
"In total, the session extended to nearly six hours — well past midnight — to ensure that all 70 clients received both testing and appropriate counselling.
"For clients with reactive results, brief counselling was provided by an attending medical officer, and they were referred to the health clinic for further follow-up," it said.
This follows a call by rights advocacy group Justice for Sisters, urging the Kelantan police to revise their statements for framing the event as an alleged "gay sex party", and for using stigmatising language
"The police must maintain the highest level of professionalism, integrity and accuracy when reporting facts of cases to the media.
"Many of the statements by the police were stigmatising, which were later sensationalised in the media," the group said in a statement signed by 30 other civil society groups and individuals on 18 July.
They also raised concerns over the police's conduct during the raid, describing it as a human rights violation and a setback to public health efforts. Despite realising that the gathering was a health outreach event, they said police still proceeded to conduct urine tests on attendees.
