15-2-2024 (KUALA LUMPUR) In a series of operations conducted between January 18 and February 6, the Malaysian home ministry have seized 2,295 sex toys valued at RM70,000 (S$19,727), marking the largest confiscation of such items in 2024. The operations spanned across Johor, Sarawak, Pulau Pinang, and Perak, with authorities detaining three women and one man, all in their 30s, suspected to be the proprietors of the illicit business.
The most significant haul occurred in Masai, Johor Bahru, where a storage facility yielded 2,012 sex toys with a total value of RM37,350 (S$10,528). In Bayan Lepas, Pulau Pinang, 102 sex toys worth RM15,732 (S$4,433) were seized, and 46 units worth RM6,050 (S$1,705) were confiscated in Ipoh, Perak. The raid in Kuching, Sarawak, at a shopping complex resulted in the seizure of 135 units of sex toys valued at RM10,890.50 (S$3,069).
Nik Yusaimi Yussof, the secretary of the Ministry’s Enforcement and Controls Division, expressed concern over the increasing public sale of sex toys, both in shopping complexes and online. The seized items, suspected to be imported from China to meet local demand, were priced between RM50 (S$14.10) and RM300 (S$84.50).
During a press conference, Nik Yusaimi stated that the sale of sex toys is prohibited in the country, and those involved in selling, importing, or distributing them could face legal actions as it contradicts the values and culture of Malaysian society. The detained suspects are facing charges under Section 292(a) of the Penal Code, related to the sale, distribution, and possession of obscene materials.
To counter the surge in the distribution and sale of sex toys, Nik Yusaimi announced that the ministry would intensify enforcement actions nationwide, particularly against the open sale of these items in cosmetic, health, and souvenir stores.
Since 2023, the Home Ministry has seized items worth RM1.3 million (S$366,000), citing a violation of Section 7(1) of the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984. This section gives the ministry absolute discretion to ban media deemed “prejudicial to or likely to be prejudicial to public order, morality, security.”
