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After a raid that rocked a private Halloween event this past Saturday, 29 October, the venue partner of the event has since stepped forward to comment on the matter
The Halloween event, which was organised at the cultural hub and creative venue REXKL, was raided by members of PDRM and the Federal Territories Islamic Religious Department (JAWI), resulting in the detention of some attendees and organisers of the event, including transgender individuals and several drag queens.
Many Malaysians have since come forward to express themselves against the raid, as the event, Shagrilla SHAVE, was primarily created for LGBTQ+ individuals.
However, the venue partner for the event themselves, REXKL, released a statement on their Instagram page yesterday, 30 October, directly addressing the raid.
The full statement released by REXKL on their Instagram page.
Image via @hellorexkl (Instagram)
REXKL said that they “choose to celebrate, not destroy the diversity” of Malaysian communities and the unity which makes us all truly Malaysian
Opening their statement, REXKL was forthright in expressing their sadness by the troubling events that transpired on 29 October. Reinforcing their message and what they stand for, the hub continued on by saying that they will remain a space open to the Malaysian public.
“REXKL has been and always will be a creative, welcoming, and, most importantly, inclusive space for the Malaysian public,” continued the statement.
Emphasising diversity as a key stronghold that unifies Malaysians, REXKL mentioned how they choose to celebrate these differences for their events.
“We stand with out community and will not tolerate prejudice of any kind,” read the message.
Images taken during the raid.
Image via Provided to SAYS/@NumanAfifi (Twitter)
A slew of Malaysians expressed support for REXKL since the release of their statement
Among the words of encouragement included those who said how they will continue to attend REXKL events in the coming future.
Image via @hellorexkl (Instagram)
Image via @hellorexkl (Instagram)
Image via @hellorexkl (Instagram)
Image via @hellorexkl (Instagram)