T'ganu public caning postponed pending appeal

The public caning of a repeat khalwat (close proximity) offender in Terengganu, scheduled to take place at a mosque this Friday, has been postponed.

Terengganu exco for Information, Preaching, and Syariah Empowerment Muhammad Khalil Abdul Hadi stated this was due to a review application submitted to the Syariah Court of Appeal yesterday.

“As such, the execution of the syariah caning punishment outside the prison has been temporarily suspended pending further orders from the Syariah Court of Appeal.

“Review applications are a common procedure in the judicial system.

“Therefore, the public is urged to await further directives from the Syariah Court of Appeal,” he said at a press conference in Kuala Terengganu today.

Repeat offender

On Nov 20, a widower became the first individual set to be caned publicly outside a courtroom or prison after being found guilty of committing khalwat three times.

Senior Syariah High Court judge Kamalruazmi Ismail had sentenced Mohd Affendi Awang, 42, to six strokes of the cane after he pleaded guilty to the third khalwat charge.

The court ordered the punishment to be carried out at a mosque after Friday prayers on Dec 6.

Previously, Malaysiakini reported that only 70 selected individuals would witness the postponed caning.

Affendi was charged under Section 31(a) of the Syariah Criminal Offences (Takzir) (Terengganu) Enactment Amendment 2022 for khalwat.

He was also fined RM4,000 and would have to serve six months in prison if he failed to pay the fine.

Purpose to educate

The carpenter had previously been fined RM2,700 or sentenced to three months’ imprisonment after pleading guilty to khalwat on July 11, 2023, at the Kemaman Lower Syariah Court.

The father of five was again charged with the same offence on Jan 25 this year. The Terengganu Syariah High Court sentenced him to four strokes of the cane and fined him RM3,000.

Khalil urged all parties not to speculate on the matter but to place full trust in the court.

He explained that this caning was a syariah punishment for takzir (discretionary) criminal offences.

“The purpose is to educate the offender and others,” he said.

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