The government must review the use of corporal punishment like whipping and other severe forms of punishment, urged the liberal Islamic group, Sisters in Islam (SIS).

"The SIS views judicial corporal punishment as a violation of human rights principles, in particular the right to be free from cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment," said the movement's executive director Hamidah Merican in a statement.

The NGO pointed to the recent imposition of the sentence on those who had breached the Islamic prohibition of alcohol consumption.

"SIS expresses its deep concerns over reports of a man sentenced by the Syariah High Court of Kuantan to be whipped six times, the maximum sentence for a criminal offence under syariah law in Malaysia, and fined RM5000."

The NGO argued that the experiences of countries around the world where judicial corporal punishment is still on the books, show that whipping does not lead to individual reform nor act as a deterrent.

SIS contends that even the Human Rights Committee of the United Nations has consistently called for the abolition of corporal punishment and called for non-violent forms of discipline as alternatives.

The movement has consistently voiced its disagreement with the use of corporal punishment particularly in Syariah cases.

Last year SIS spoke out against the caning sentence of model Kartika Dewi Shukarno who was caught drinking beer .