A 42-year-old construction worker faced public caning on Friday, in Malaysia’s conservative state of Terengganu, for an Islamic offense, according to state news agency Bernama.
The man was convicted by a Sharia court for committing “khalwat,” an offense involving being alone with a woman who was neither his wife nor a relative.
For the first time in Malaysia, a Sharia court-ordered caning took place outside a courtroom, held instead inside a mosque following Friday prayers.
The event drew a crowd of about 90 people. The man, clad in an orange inmate jumpsuit, was transported in a prison van and ushered into the mosque before the punishment.
The man received six lashes, witnessed by a hushed audience. The Malaysian Bar Association voiced strong opposition earlier in the week, stating, “Such punishments strip individuals of their dignity.”
Despite criticism, some attendees supported the punishment. Spectator Mohd Sabri Muhammad expressed hope that such actions would deter immoral behavior.
“Valentine’s Day, New Year’s – there are many opportunities for young people to engage in inappropriate behavior,” he told AFP.
Malaysia, a multi-ethnic country, operates a dual legal system with Islamic courts overseeing specific matters for Muslim citizens. While rare, Sharia court-ordered canings are not unheard of.
In 2018, two women were caned in a courtroom for violating religious laws through same-sex relations.
Critics, including the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia, argue that such punishments are incompatible with a modern justice system, stating last week that “punishments that inflict physical violence and public humiliation have no place in a modern justice system.”
Caning in Malaysia typically occurs over clothing, with critics highlighting its dual purpose of physical pain and public humiliation.
