KUALA LUMPUR: Police raided several premises in an anti-vice operation in the city's oldest red-light district that is still operational to this day.
The operation near the food court and buildings in Jalan Gelang and Jalan Kalong, Pudu, here, was conducted by the Vice, Gambling, and Organised Crime Investigation Division of the Criminal Investigation Department following an exclusive report on sex services being offered in the area from RM100 onwards.
The area is among the oldest prostitution dens in the Klang Valley and is still operational. Currently, it is an attraction point for old men who seek the companionship of Chinese and Vietnamese women.
However, some of those arrested on suspicion of offering sexual services were not only young women, but also those aged between 40 and 50.
One 58-year-old male customer who was netted in the operation said he had been frequenting the area since his youth nearly 20 years ago.
"Even though I have erectile dysfunction, I still come here to get a body massage and satisfy my desires.
"I don't go to the food court because it requires spending a lot on food, drinks and flower garlands, which would easily cost up to RM300," he said.
Since he was a regular customer, he said he had a Chinese woman contact who offered him services and went up directly to her room in the next building.
"For the past 20 years I have been visiting here and until now, the price has remained the same, which is only RM100. This place is not new, but it is as old as I am."
During the raid, the man asked not to be photographed because he was worried that his family would know about his immoral activities.
"Don't take my picture," he said.
For a younger customer caught in the raid, he believed that he was unlucky and it was just not his day.
"When it's wrong, it's wrong. There's no luck (when you get caught), just confess," he said after being netted in Jalan Gelang.
The 35-year-old factory worker said he was introduced to the location by a friend.
"After working hours, I came here to drink (at the food court). They (suspected sex workers) come to me offering services for a fee of RM100.
"Don't do it, bro (asking the cameraman not to record him). Don't make it difficult for me. It will be hard for my family and work, too," he said.
There is also a customer approaching his sixth decade, who is undeterred despite catching chlamydia twice from the prostitutes he frequented.
The man also suffered from heart disease and brought along his medication for high blood pressure and cholesterol.
"I have been sexually deprived for more than 14 years without being with my wife. If my wife asks (about the arrest), I say it is because of you that I am deprived and unable to meet my needs. We have been sleeping in different rooms for a long time because she refuses to have sex."
The man said that he did not go through any middlemen to get his sexual services, but instead, he contacted the women directly.
A young Chinese woman who said she had been working in the industry since age 15 was also among those detained in the raid.
Vice, Gambling, and Organised Crime Investigation Division (D7) deputy director Mohamad Farouk Eshak said 27 individuals, including guest relations officers (GROs) and suspected prostitutes, were arrested.
Several local men acting as managers, Indonesian female cashiers and two Myanmar male cleaners were also detained.