A 42-year-old construction worker received six lashes in the conservative Malaysian state of Terengganu following a Sharia court conviction, the official Bernama news agency reported.
This marked the first time in Malaysia that a Sharia court-ordered punishment was carried out inside a mosque, according to the agency.
An AFP journalist on-site observed the man’s arrival at the mosque in a prison van shortly after Friday prayers. Dressed in an orange prison jumpsuit, he entered the mosque while a hushed crowd looked on.
The punishment, conducted for the Islamic offense known as khalwat (close proximity with someone of the opposite gender outside permissible relationships), was carried out in front of approximately 90 spectators admitted to the mosque.
READ MORE: Ibadan Stampede: Alumni Call for Immediate Release of Detained Islamic High School Principal
Earlier in the week, the Malaysian Bar Association expressed deep concerns about the public nature of the punishment. “Such penalties strip individuals of their dignity,” the association stated in a formal release.
However, Mohd Sabri Muhammad, one of the attendees, voiced support for the act, stating that it could discourage immoral behavior. “Occasions like Valentine’s Day and New Year’s often lead young people astray,” the 37-year-old told AFP.
Malaysia operates a dual legal system, where Islamic courts oversee certain matters for Muslim citizens alongside the civil judiciary. Sharia court punishments like caning, though uncommon, are not unheard of in the country.
Typically, caning ordered by Sharia courts is carried out over clothing, with critics arguing that it aims to both humiliate and inflict physical pain. In 2018, two women found guilty of violating religious laws by engaging in sexual relations were publicly caned in an Islamic court before an audience of over 100 people.
The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia recently condemned such actions, stating, “Punishments involving physical violence and public humiliation have no place in a modern justice system.”
