Three Muslim women, who were recently caned for committing syariah offences, accepted the punishment meted out at the

Kajang Women's Prison on Feb 9 and were remorseful of their wrongdoings.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Jamil Khir Baharom said they welcomed the sentence , which did not inflict any injury on them.

"They expressed their repentance as they felt the punishment will rid them of their sin and guilt to Allah," he told reporters at a retreat with agencies under the Prime Minister's Department in Genting Highlands today.

Jamil said the trio were aware that syariah caning was different from civil caning.

"They said even 100 strokes of the syariah rotan will not be equivalent to one stroke of civil caning. They also urged their friends not to commit similar offences," said Jamil.

The trio were also given religious counselling before and after they were sentenced under Section 23(2) of the Federal Territory Syariah Criminal Offences Act 1997 (Illicit Sex) after they were found guilty of engaging in illicit sex.

Meanwhile, Malaysian Syarie Lawyers Association president Mohamad Isa Abd Ralip said the association fully supported the sentence as it showed the government's seriousness in carrying out the punishment.

"The implementation of the sentence cast aside criticisms levelled by certain quarters that it is a cruel and inhuman punishment," he said in a statement today.

He said the sentence was aimed at making offenders repent and served as a lesson to Muslims.

On the sentence against Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarnor, who pleaded guilty to drinking beer in public, he said the whipping should be speeded up to avoid the public from deriding the Syariah Court.

- Bernama