SERI SETIA POLLS | PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man has accused the cabinet of commenting on the Terengganu caning case to distract from Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng’s corruption charge acquittal.

 

"Sometimes, they exaggerate the issues, for instance, the incident in Terengganu, as an attempt to cover (Finance Minister) Lim Guan Eng's case, which is more serious than the trivial issue in Terengganu.

"The cabinet should not have issued a statement to criticise the laws and the punishment," he told a 500-strong crowd at a ceramah in Seri Setia last night.

"This is being disrespectful to the decision of the Syariah Court," said Tuan Ibrahim, who is Kubang Kerian MP.

He was commenting on two court cases in the spotlight this week: Lim’s acquittal by the High Court in Penang on Monday and the public caning of two women for a sex offence by the Terengganu Syariah High Court, also on the same day.

The punishment meted out by the Syariah Court was guided by the relevant laws approved by Parliament, Tuan Ibrahim added.

"The victims did not appeal the punishment despite being able to do so in 14 days. They wanted the punishment to be carried out so that Allah can forgive them," he said.

"What is important is we do not question the existing laws. If all parties rise to question the regulations, why should we have these laws when we don't even respect them?" he said.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said the administration opined that the women were first-time offenders and therefore should have been advised by the authorities, rather than be subjected to corporal punishment.

Media reports of the caning drew criticism from various quarters, including politicians and rights groups, which deemed flogging as a form of torture that is "cruel and degrading".

However, the state government defended the act and said it was meant to educate the public, not hurt the women.

The women, aged 22 and 32, were caught by Islamic law enforcement officers in April for attempting to have sex in a car.

They were fined RM3,300 each by the Syariah Court and sentenced to six strokes of the cane after pleading guilty.