Updated: Forbidden love

As I type this, it's evening on Valentine's Day in Malaysia.

If Islamic authorities are true to their word, they are currently prowling the streets in search of illicit lovers.

Party officials in Muslim-majority Malaysia's more puritanical states have said Valentine's Day is "synonymous with vice." According to the AFP news agency, the day is forbidden under a fatwa from top clerics.

A state official from the Islamic Development Department adds that it's also associated with Christian worshipping rituals.

So various officials are out performing "immorality checks" on spots "used by lovers" to prevent any casual sex, says the AFP article.

So if you're amorous in Malaysia tonight, take it inside and lock the door. Getting snuggly on a park bench might invite a lecture from the morality police.

UPDATE: "Operation Valentine" raided budget hotels to detain 40 Muslim couples, according to the Associated Press. They are deemed guilty of "khalwat" under Shariah law, which places restrictions on unmarried, unrelated couples spending time alone.