Malaysia questions 18 people arrested at LGBT Halloween party

Malaysia’s Islamic religious authorities on Monday questioned 18 people detained during a Halloween party attended by members of the LGBT community at the weekend, activists said.
The arrests come amid concern among human rights groups and activists over the state’s growing intolerance towards the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community in Malaysia in recent years.
Same-sex acts are illegal in Malaysia, although convictions are rare. The country has a dual-track legal system, with Islamic criminal and family laws applicable to Muslims running alongside civil laws.
Twenty people were arrested for offences under sharia, or Islamic law, during a raid on an event in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, district police said in a statement.