Man bursts into JB massage parlour while S’pore family was undressed, police report filed
A group of four Singaporeans have lodged a police report after a Johor Bahru (JB) massage parlour employee allegedly burst into their private rooms while they were undressed for a massage.
The parlour’s staff said the matter had been referred to the police.
According to Shin Min Daily News, the incident took place at around 9pm on Aug 30 at a massage parlour in JB, Malaysia.
Speaking to the Chinese daily, self-employed Singaporean Hong Jianwei (transliterated), 40, said he had visited JB with his family that day. The group of four had booked two-hour full-body aromatherapy massages at the parlour.
Hong said he and his wife were assigned separate private rooms, while his wife’s niece and elder sister shared a VIP room.
About 35 minutes into the massage, a man wearing a white short-sleeved shirt suddenly came upstairs, shouting that he was looking for a driver. He then went from room to room, opening the doors to check.
Hong said the man did not provide a car plate number or explain whom he was looking for before opening their rooms.
“We were lying face down on the massage beds with our clothes off and our backs exposed. He opened my door and left after about five to 10 seconds,” he said.
Family confronts parlour staff
Hong’s wife, identified as Ms Gao (transliterated), also self-employed, said she was almost completely undressed and lying face down at the time — she did not dare to get up to see what was happening.
“My masseuse had to chase him away. It was extremely awkward,” the 40-year-old said.
The other two family members recounted similar experiences, and the family stopped their massages, got dressed and confronted the parlour staff.
Gao said the manager told them that the man was an valet staff responsible for parking at the massage parlour. However, the manager was unable to get the man to come out and face them, prompting the family to make a police report.
“We felt very frightened afterwards. How can someone simply open the door and enter while customers are having massages? There was no privacy at all,” she said.
When Shin Min contacted the parlour on the morning of Sept 1, a staff member reportedly hung up after saying there were customers at the premises.
When contacted again, a staff member said the matter had been referred to the police and declined to comment further.
Takes manager’s phone to preserve evidence
Gao said she subsequently asked to view the parlour’s CCTV footage to identify the man involved.
According to her, the manager showed them the footage on his phone. She noticed that there appeared to be a significant blind spot, making it difficult to clearly identify the man who had entered the massage rooms.
In an attempt to preserve evidence, Gao took the manager’s phone and tried to use her own phone to record the CCTV footage displayed on it.
“He initially said we could look at the footage, but we could not take photos or videos. We were worried that he might delete the evidence, so we took his phone,” she said.
A video provided by Gao showed the manager becoming agitated after his phone was taken. He repeatedly demanded that it be returned, saying it contained his personal information.
Family rejects offer of free massages
After the incident, the massage parlour manager offered to waive the entire bill for all four customers as a form of compensation.
However, Hong and his family rejected the offer, saying the matter involved customer privacy and personal safety and could not be resolved simply with free massages or monetary compensation.
During police questioning, an officer also asked whether they would accept compensation from the parlour and reach a settlement. The family again declined, saying they wanted the matter to be dealt with through proper legal processes.
Hong stressed that the family was not seeking compensation but wanted a formal investigation into why an unauthorised person could open the door to a private massage room.
They therefore decided to make a police report.
Shared experience and warned others on livestream
Hong and Gao took to Facebook on Aug 31 to recount their experience.
They stressed that they were not sharing the incident to seek compensation, but to warn Singaporeans who frequently visit JB, particularly women and families, to be more “alert” about their privacy and personal safety.
Gao also advised customers to check whether private room doors can be locked from the inside before undressing, and to clarify with the establishment which staff members are allowed to enter the room.
She added that customers should not let their guard down simply because a room is marketed as a “VIP” or “private” room.
Meanwhile, Gao said JB police had contacted her and asked the family to return to Malaysia to assist with the investigation.
However, citing safety concerns, the family currently does not intend to do so.
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