It is a Valentine’s Day to forget for 80 Muslims, who will be taken to the Selangor syariah court after religious officials cracked down yesterday against Muslim couples 'celebrating' the occassion.

They were picked up during ‘Ops Valentine’ carried out at various budget hotels in the state between midnight last night to 6am this morning with the help of the police and other enforcement agencies.

According to a statement from the Selangor Islamic Religious Department, they will be charged under the state’s Syariah Criminal Offence Enactment 1995.

Those found guilty of flouting the Syariah enactment can be fined RM3,000, jailed not more than two years, or both. 

The crackdown was preceded by admonishments during Friday sermons that Muslims should not celebrate 'Western' celebrations such as Valentine's Day that violate tenets of the Islamic faith.

This was followed by the launch yesterday by the Pakatan Rakyat-led Selangor government of an awareness campaign against illicit sex and to warn Muslims away from celebrating Valentine's Day.

Another 61 individuals, said the statement, have submitted to counselling, while 60 others dispersed when ordered to do so in yesterday's operation by the enforcement personnel.