Operation Valentine

Code-name for the St. Valentine’s Day “sting” operation by religious enforcement officers in Malaysia to catch unmarried Muslim couples sharing hotel rooms.

26 unmarried Muslim couples were arrested in the Malaysian town of Kuantan on February 14, 2009, The Press Association reported:

State authorities carry out raids each year on Valentine’s Day in the Muslim-majority country, where sharia laws make it illegal for unmarried Muslims to meet behind closed doors. …

Doing so constitutes a crime known as Khalwat, or “close proximity,” which carries a maximum fine of 1,000 ringgit (280 U.S. dollars) and up to six months in prison.

Malaysia’s Women’s Aid Organisation advises:

There can be no citizen’s arrest made for Khalwat. However, the public can make a formal complaint to the Religious Office if they have any suspicion of Khalwat, much like the way a member of the public can make a police report if they have any suspicion of robbery or abuse.

There will be a minimum of four persons in each enforcement unit because of the stipulation of four male Muslim witnesses for crimes under the Syariah Law.