Singaporean actor detained in Malaysia for 'close proximity' incident with local actress

By Linh Le March 20, 2024 | 12:12 am PT

Actor Aliff Aziz was detained by the Federal Territories Islamic Religious Department at a condominium in Kuala Lumpur due to an incident involving khalwat (close proximity) with Malaysian actress Ruhainies.

Singaporean actor Aliff Aziz. Photo from Aziz's Instagram

According to a report by The Star, both Aziz, 33, and Ruhainies, 31, were apprehended on March 9 under suspicion of engaging in khalwat, which occurs when a woman and a man who are neither married to each other nor related by blood are found together in a private setting.

The Straits Times noted that on March 14, Ruhainies posted a message on her Instagram confirming that authorities had found no evidence of "khalwat" occurring between her and Aziz.

She explained that she invited Aziz to her Kuala Lumpur condominium unit simply for a dinner with her siblings, implying nothing beyond that. However, there was a moment when they ended up alone because Ruhainies’ elder sister was stuck in a traffic jam and arrived late.

In response to the situation, the actress appealed to the public to stop spreading rumors.

Aziz also remarked on his Instagram that the gravity of the incident had been overstated. He offered an apology, mentioning that it would have been more prudent for him to wait in the lobby rather than inside Ruhainies’ apartment.

Nonetheless, The Straits Times reported that Aziz’s wife, 29-year-old Malaysian singer Bella Astillah, has filed for divorce following the incident.

The couple, who wed in 2016, had previously separated in 2019 due to allegations of Aziz’s infidelity, but reconciled in 2020. They share a six-year-old son and a three-year-old daughter.