KUALA TERENGGANU – A khalwat (close proximity) offender is scheduled to be publicly caned on Dec 27 at the Al-Muktafi Billah Shah mosque, Ladang.
The announcement was made by Terengganu state executive councillor for Information Dakwah and Syariah Empowerment Dr Muhammad Khalil Abdul Hadi.
The state Syariah Court of Appeal unanimously decided to proceed with the punishment following its postponement on Dec 6.
"In light of the postponed caning outside of prison for the khalwat offender, the Syariah Court of Appeal convened on Dec 11.
"The court ruled that the review application was valid and in line with Section 18 of the Syariah Court Enactment (Terengganu) 2001," Khalil said in a statement, today.
Following deliberations, the court upheld the original ruling by the state Syariah High Court on Nov 20.
The offender was sentenced to six strokes of public caning, a fine of RM4,000, or six months in prison if he fails to pay the fine.
"The repeat khalwat offender will receive the punishment at the Al-Muktafi Billah Shah mosque, as previously decided," he added.
The caning has been scheduled for Dec 27, after Friday prayers.
Details on the standard operating procedures for the punishment will be released by the relevant authorities beforehand.
Khalil said the punishment was intended to serve as a deterrent to prevent others from committing or repeating similar offences.
"This public caning under the takzir law is also meant to highlight the differences between civil and Syariah punishments.
"The state government invites the public to pray for a smooth execution of this Syariah judicial process," he said.
On Nov 20, it was reported that widower Mohd Affendi Awang, 42, became the first person in Terengganu to receive six strokes of public caning at a mosque for repeat khalwat offences, as ruled by the Syariah High Court.
Previously, Affendi was sentenced to four strokes of canning in private and fined RM3,000 under the same enactment on Feb 19.
He was also fined RM2,700 in default three months jail for a khalwat offence in the Kemaman Lower Syariah Court on July 11, 2023.
Under the 2022 amendment to the state Syariah Criminal Offences (Takzir) Enactment, the second and subsequent khalwat offences were punishable by up to six strokes, fines of up to RM5,000, or three years in prison. These amendments came into effect on Jan 1.
On Dec 4, Khalil announced that the caning scheduled for that week had been temporarily postponed following a review application filed at the Syariah Court of Appeal on Dec 3.