Singapore actor Aliff Aziz and Malaysian actress Ruhainies break silence on suspected khalwat case
KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysian actress Ruhainies has issued an official statement days after her suspected khalwat (close proximity) case with Singaporean actor Aliff Aziz.
The pair were nabbed by Federal Territories Islamic Religious Department (Jawi) officers on March 9 after they were seen together at Ruhainies’ condominium unit in Kuala Lumpur.
In a statement on March 14, Ruhainies apologised for her “mistake” which had led to many misunderstandings.
The 31-year-old said she valued her friendship with Aliff’s wife, Malaysian singer Bella Astillah, adding that she did not want the pair to split.
Bella, who married Aliff in 2016, filed for divorce from the Singaporean actor on March 11. This is the second time she is filing for a divorce.
Bella and Aliff, who have two children, divorced in 2019 after he was accused of cheating on her, but reconciled in 2020.
In her statement, Ruhainies claimed that Jawi officials have confirmed there was no “tangkap basah” (colloquial term for khalwat) between her and Aliff.
Ruhainies, whose real name is Nur Ruhainies Farehah Zainul Ilyas, also clarified the events leading up to her detention, adding that she invited Aliff to her place only for dinner with her siblings and nothing else.
However, the two actors were left alone momentarily when Ruhainies’ older sister arrived late as she “got stuck in traffic”.
“We were chatting when there was a knock on the door. I thought it was my sister because she told me she was already arriving.
“But when I heard a male voice, I hesitated to open the door due to safety reasons.
“I called my sister to come as quickly as possible to check who’s outside and she confirmed it was Jawi officials when she arrived,” she said.
Ruhainies said her sister had informed her that Bella, 29, and the media were waiting outside her door.
After reaching an agreement that only relevant parties should be present outside, Ruhainies finally opened the door.
“I admit my mistake. I put myself in a situation that led to many misunderstandings, which could have been avoided.
“I want to stress that Aliff and I are just friends who are working together in a drama.
“I hope my statement won’t be used as a provocation. I just want to clear up the situation among the three of us,” she said.
Aliff issued a similar statement mirroring Ruhainies’ version of events.
The 33-year-old apologised for the incident and said he should have waited at the lobby instead of in Ruhainies’ unit.
“I will take this as a lesson and be more careful in the future. Because of my mistake, I not only ruined my reputation but also my family’s,” he wrote on Instagram. – THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
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