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A married couple received a rude awakening in the early hours of the morning when their hotel room was raided by religious authorities.
In a video circulating on TikTok yesterday (1 May), user @haahlahzett and her husband answered the door in the middle of the night after a series of loud knocks.
The couple can be seen rushing to get decent after they realised it was the Malacca Islamic Affairs Department (JAIM) at their door. After they opened the door, the Islamic department officers could be heard asking the couple for their MyKADs and most likely their marriage cards to verify that they are indeed legally married.
“I was ironing my clothes at 2am and suddenly there was knocking at the door. After six years our marriage card has a function. P/S this did not happen at an OYO hotel, it could happen at any budget hotel,” the caption wrote.
@haahlahzett 2 pagi tgah gosok baju tiba2 kena ketuk alaaaaaahai! Lepas 6 tahun nikah kad baru function
♬ Funny lazy donkey (hilarious song)(937200) – LEOPARDP/s : Bukan oyo/hotel bajet pun kena
User @haahlahzett made a second video recounting her experience that night, expressing how nervous she was during the whole incident and how chaotic it went as she and her husband scrambled to put proper clothes on when eight officers were at their door.
She mentioned asking the hotel receptionist the next morning about the sudden raid on their room, and they claimed that they had no prior knowledge of the spot check.
“They came into the hotel randomly and asked for a list of guests who are Malay. This is not exactly a shoddy budget hotel,” she said.
@haahlahzett Replying to @Yana2ze ♬ original sound – Haahlahzett
Netizens debate about the ethics of such a raid
Looking to the comments section, many TikTok users discussed whether a raid like this is ethical or not, arguing that it is a violation of privacy.
Some also admitted to not owning a marriage card despite being already married due to the religious department’s poor service in providing them with the document.
A few also questioned JAIM’s use of resources, wondering why they were raiding a random hotel at two in the morning instead of focusing on more pressing matters.
One user asked what they should do if they found themselves in a similar situation and did not have their marriage card or certificate on them. Most suggested to either keep a photo of it in their phones or a photocopy in their wallets.
Aside from personal privacy, it’s also a matter of security. In a scenario where criminals might be posing as authority figures, a hotel must conduct proper checks before allowing any visitor into the guest areas or rooms.
What would happen if you’re an unmarried Muslim caught co-habitating with the opposite sex?
Cohabitation out of wedlock is generally considered khalwat, which refers to close proximity between an unmarried man and woman in a private setting, and it is an offense under the Syariah Criminal Offences Enactments of each state.
The penalties may include a fine of up to RM3,000 or imprisonment up to two years, or both, depending on the state and specific circumstances. Syariah law enforcement is handled by the state religious authorities, and enforcement varies across Malaysia’s states.
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