PETALING JAYA: The public caning sentence for the first individual in Terengganu convicted of repeated khalwat (close proximity) has been postponed.
The punishment, originally scheduled for this Friday at Masjid Al-Muktafi Billah Shah, Kuala Terengganu, will be delayed following a review application filed with the Syariah Court of Appeal on Tuesday, New Straits Times reported.
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“The review application is a common process in the judiciary system, and the public is advised to await the Court of Appeal’s next order,“ state executive councillor Information, Da’wah, and Syariah Empowerment Dr. Muhammad Khalil Abdul Hadi, said.
He urged the public to refrain from speculating, urging confidence in the syariah court’s procedures.
“This caning punishment is a syariah penalty under takzir (punishable) offences, aimed at educating the offender and serving as a deterrent for others.
“The punishment will still be carried out at the same location in the near future,“ he was quoted as saying.
He mentioned that the review application was submitted by the relevant agency to ensure the process is carried out smoothly and in an orderly manner.
When asked if the postponement was influenced by external pressure from NGOs, he said: “This has nothing to do with any pressure. We want the punishment to be carried out in the best way possible.”
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.
