MALAYSIA: A 60-something widower’s claim of debilitating illness took a suspicious turn when Johor Islamic Religious Department (JAINJ) officers raided his two-storey terrace house at 2:15 a.m. on Tuesday, finding him alone with a woman in her 20s.
Following a public tip-off, officers knocked for ten minutes before the grandfather – a planter with grandchildren – opened the door. Inside, they discovered the young woman, dressed in long pants and a long-sleeved T-shirt, lying on the sofa with the TV on.
The man insisted she was there to “care” for him, citing “dual illnesses” that caused fainting and blurred vision, fearing solitude while unwell. The woman, a virgin from northern Peninsular Malaysia working in Johor Bahru, echoed the caregiving story.
However, the man’s shock was palpable when officers revealed intelligence: he had driven over 50km through heavy rain and darkness to fetch her, and planned to return her the next day. “If truly ill, how could he manage such a drive?” JAINJ questioned in a statement.
The pair admitted marriage plans but feared societal backlash over the age gap. JAINJ deemed it clear khalwat, stating: “No need to check messy beds – just the two of them alone.”
Both were detained for further action under Shariah laws. The case highlights ongoing enforcement against close-proximity offences in Johor.
