PETALING JAYA: The caning of repeat khalwat (close proximity) offender, Mohd Affendi Awang, was carried out swiftly and in accordance with standard operating procedures (SOP).
The entire process took only two minutes, with the 42-year-old receiving six strokes of the cane, Majoriti reported.
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Dressed in a red prison uniform and green face mask, he was escorted by prison officers and police into Dewan ‘Aasim at Masjid Al Muktafi Billah Shah, Jalan Sultan Mahmud, Kuala Terengganu, at 2.28pm to undergo the punishment.
The caning began precisely at 2.50pm and was completed by 2.52pm, after which the offender was immediately taken to a medical examination room.
Mohd Affendi, a carpenter and father of five, was punished under Section 31(a) of the Syariah Criminal Offences (Takzir) (Terengganu) Enactment Amendment 2022.
Despite the mosque being filled with congregants for Friday prayers, a crowd gathered to catch a glimpse of the offender, who was brought into the hall through the mosque’s back entrance under tight security.
The punishment, scheduled for after 3pm, was witnessed by 70 individuals, including Terengganu State Executive Council members, department heads, representatives of the Malaysian Muslim Lawyers Association, NGOs, and media personnel.
Strict security measures were enforced, with all witnesses prohibited from bringing any communication devices.
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The individual in question, Mohd Affendi Awang, a 42-year-old carpenter, became the first person in Terengganu to be sentenced to public caning for repeated khalwat.
On November 20, the Terengganu Syariah High Court, presided over by senior judge Kamalruazmi Ismail, sentenced him to six public lashes and a RM4,000 fine, or six months’ imprisonment if the fine was not paid.
The accused pleaded guilty for committing khalwat with a 52-year-old woman at a house in Kemaman at 1.40am on June 16.
