Prostitution in Malaysia

For 200 years, except in wartime, prostitution was only apparent in small areas of George Town, Ipoh, Johor Bahru, Kuantan and Kuala Lumpur, serving loggers, tin miners and sailors.[7]

During the Japanese occupation of Malaya in the Second World War, the Japanese set up a number of brothels for their troops to "prevent the rape of local women by Japanese soldiers, to limit anti-Japanese resistance in the occupied area, to protect the soldiers from venereal disease and to avoid international disgrace". Many local women between 17 and 28 were forced to work in the brothels, employed as what were euphemistically termed "comfort women".[8]

Starting at the end of the 20th century, prostitution has spread over the rest of Malaysia, particularly in the form of massage parlours,[7] and "health centres".[9]

Originally the prostitutes were locals, but there has been an influx of foreign sex workers over the last 10 years. Prostitutes from China, Myanmar, Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia now outnumber locals.[7]

In 2012, the Anti-Vice, Gambling and Secret Societies divisions of the police arrested 12,234 prostitutes throughout the country, of which 9,830 were foreign nationals, including 5,165 Chinese, 2,009 Thais and 1,418 Indonesians.[6]

There are no federal laws against prostitution but there are laws against related activities. Section 372 of the Penal Code criminalises soliciting in any place and living on the earnings of a prostitute.[1] The latter is applied against those who run brothels.[3]

The Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 adds an offence of exposing another person to the risk of HIV infection.[1]

Local health regulations prevent health and beauty establishments (which includes massage parlours) from employing sex-workers.[1]

Various other laws such as those against vagrancy are also used against sex-workers.[1]

Kuala Lumpur has a number of red-light districts where street prostitution, massage parlours and brothels can be found.[7]

The most upmarket, and probably the best known, is Bukit Bintang. More downmarket is the RLD at Lorong Haji Taib where Indian, Chinese, and local prostitutes operate. Close by is the Chow Kit area where transgender prostitutes ply at night.[7]

Jalan Alor, Jalan Hicks, and Jalan Thamibipilly in the Brickfields area are red-light districts. Street walkers operate around Jalan Petaling.[7]

In the Klang Valley, Chinese, Vietnamese, Thais, and Cambodians work as Guest Relations Officers (GROs) in the karaoke and Japanese bars. After being brought a few drinks they will negotiate a price for sex. Indonesians work as dancers/prostitutes in the Dangdut Pubs. African prostitutes try to pick up customers outside nightclubs in Bukit Bintang, Jalan Sultan Ismail, and Jalan Imbi. There are also a number of escort agencies.[7]

In 2012 some of the food courts in the Pudu district of Kuala Lumpur gained a reputation as locations where Chinese prostitutes solicited.[10]

Demand for prostitution has created a problem of people trafficking for the purpose of forced prostitution[11] from China[12][13] and Vietnam,[14][15][16] even as far as Uganda.[17] A 2009 study by a church estimated that there were 30–32,000 victims of trafficking in the Sabah area alone.[18] Victims are detained without access to legal, medical or social services in 'protective shelters'. After 90 days they are usually deported.[1]

Child prostitution and trafficking is also a problem.[18]

The United States Department of State Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons ranks Malaysia as a 'Tier 2 Watch List' country.[19]