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Six lashes and the whole nation goes berserk

I refer to the Malaysiakini report Malaysia's caning 'epidemic' under fire .

Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarnor's story I won't elaborate here. What I know is that, Alhamdulillah, she has abstained from taking alcohol and out of repentance, she wants the punishment of caning to be carried out. She looks a lot prettier now, donning the headscarf. I also heard she is going for the umrah.

And yet some people are against the things that she wants. What happened to her freedom to practice her religion? Okay now, one, two or six lashes of the rotan? And how is the punishment be carried out? Do you even know?

Well, I haven't seen how the caning is done when it comes to Islamic syariah law. As far as I know, the caning must not meant to cause bodily injury. Please remember that whipping under the federal law and caning under the syariah law are not the same. I have seen a demonstration of whipping under federal law for sexual offences, drug possession and bribery during my St Francis Institution, Melaka, days. It still gives me the goose bumps every time I think about it.

I am no expert but I know that we have the dual system in the Malaysian legal system as enshrined in the federal constitution (refer to Article 121[1A]). Additionally, syariah or Islamic law is a matter of state law, except for the federal territories of Malaysia. However, syariah law must adhere the federal constitution (amended 1984) which states:

1. Trial and punishment is to be carried out on Muslims only. In other words, non-Muslims are always exempted. (Boohoohoo! That's not fair! Justice for Muslims only?)

2. The fine cannot exceed RM5,000.

3. A jail term of not more than 3 years.

4. Caning of not more than six lashes.

5. A combination of item 2,3 and 4 is permissible.

I am still searching for the exclusion 'no caning for women' but to no avail. So, I don't understand what the fuss is all about. Why are these people justifying adultery? They're concerned over the treatment of women but this caning is nothing compared to the whipping under the federal's criminal law.

Are they trying to be hypocrites? They hate men cheating on them but now they are justifying adultery? Is this how you are being fair to we men? It is because the syariah law has to follow the constitution's guideline as above, the punishment for adulterers and drunkards has been slashed to a maximum of six lashes from 20, according to the Sunnah. It could have been even a lot heftier under the hudud law PAS is advocating (not that I am personally against it).

Six lashes of the rotan and the whole nation goes berserk. What kind of Malaysia do you want? A nation of adulterers and drunkards? Would you like to see your children becoming adulterers, drunkards and sodomites? I don't know. Maybe you people are the so-called 'Westernised people' and you think it's cool that way.

Hey, I am living in a Western country and I still keep my 'budaya kampung' and Islamic values. I don't have to be like them, they don't expect me to be like them. I don’t expect them to be like me. So this is the kind of attitude that you should adopt. So I do not know what you guys are babbling about. Coming back to caning, I would love to have my children caned by the teachers, as long as it's for the right reason la.

But of course, first things first. I have to get married in order to 'make' babies. Adultery is waaay too risky. Too risky for me, too risky for her. And you call me insensitive.

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