Malaysian man to be publicly caned at mosque for Islamic crime

21/11/2024 13:37

        A 42-year-old father of five faces a public caning at a mosque in Malaysia after being convicted of the Islamic crime of 'khalwat', or close proximity between unmarried couples, for the third time.
        
        State news agency Bernama reported, a sharia court judge in the conservative northeastern state of Terengganu on Wednesday sentenced the man, a construction worker, to six strokes of the cane and a fine after he pleaded guilty to the offence.
        
        Terengganu state executive councillor Muhammad Khalil Abdul Hadi said the caning would take place at a mosque on Dec. 6 following Friday prayers, if the man did not file an appeal.
        
        He said in a video posted on Facebook, "This punishment involves caning, but what makes it unusual this time is the judge's decision for it to be conducted publicly."
        
        "This is a new development in Terengganu. Previously, such sentences were executed in closed settings."
        
        According to Bernama, the man became the first person in the state to be caned for 'khalwat' after he was sentenced in February in a separate case, following amendments to Terengganu's Islamic laws that took effect this year.