KUALA LUMPUR: Police raided a high-end karaoke centre located on the third floor of a shopping centre in Taman Miharja, Cheras around midnight last night.
The raid, carried out by city police's Anti-Vice, Gambling and Secret Societies Division (D7) and Serious Crimes Unit (D9), came about following a tip-off from the public on the entertainment centre's activities, which allegedly continued to operate until early morning.
City police Criminal Investigation Department chief, Senior Assistant Commissioner Habibi Majinji, said there were 95 customers, including 20 women, who were partying in some of the venue's 31 rooms.
He said the venue, to prevent detection by the authorities, had a policy of only allowing regulars to enter.
"To enter the venue is difficult. The management only allows regulars as well as those who made prior reservations to come in.
"As an added measure to stay out of the authorities' line of sight, patrons also have to park their vehicles in the basement parking and then take a special lift to the third floor," he told reporters after the operation.
Habibi said police, prior to the raid, had blocked off all possible exit points to prevent any patrons from running away in the operation.
"Apart from the 95 patrons, we also detained one of the centre's caretakers as well as three men and two women, who were foreigners, for further investigation. Also seized were business receipts and music equipment.
"In total, around RM95,000 worth of compounds were issued to the customers," he said.
All enforcement action, he said, was done in accordance with Section 4(1) of the Federal Territories Entertainment Act 1952; Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959; and Rule 17 of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases (National Recovery Plan) Regulations 2021.