Minister of Women, Family and Community Development Shahrizat Abdul Jalil revealed today that the Pahang Syariah Court of Appeal chief judge had deferred the sentence of Muslim model Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno yesterday until a revision or any other order from the Pahang Syariah Court of Appeal is made.

"This shows that the Syariah Courts, like the Civil Courts has its own check and balances and it restores the faith that the Syariah Courts are fair and just in meting out its sentences regardless of gender," she said.

NONE Shahrizat (left) also said that this is not part of "damage control" measures taken by the government but are efforts to advise Kartika on her rights so that she will appeal .

"I do not understand why she did not appeal. She was advised by several quarters to file an appeal against the sentencing but she declined.

"She was later advised to seek a revision of the sentence but to the best of my knowledge, Kartika has not taken any action towards this end," she said.

The contentious issue is the severity of the sentence, specifically the caning of a woman, said Shahrizat.

She said that the sentence meted out was too harsh and does not commensurate with the offence.

She added that the punishment meted out should be "rehabilitative in nature and not punitive".

"Women's interest groups have also expressed their fear that it will create an unhealthy precedence and questioned whether this was a gender-based punishment," she said.

Shahrizat also expressed concern that this case would damage the image of the country in its fair and just implementation of the Syariah law.

She is also worried that Kartika might be facing a "psychological hang up" following the traumatising experience.

Against the spirit of the law

"Due to this , she might accept everything given in the name of the Syaria and this is against the spirit of Syariah, the Syariah that I understand," she said.

NONE Yesterday, enforcement officers temporarily released Kartika, following a letter from the Attorney-General's Chambers saying "it was not advisable for her to undergo the punishment during the fasting month".

Kartika was scheduled to be caned at the Kajang Prison yesterday for drinking beer.

The Pahang Syariah High Court had on July 20 fined the 32-year-old mother of two girls RM5,000 and ordered her to be given six strokes of the rotan after she pleaded guilty to drinking beer at a hotel lounge in Cherating last year.