A 42-year-old Malaysian father of five has been sentenced to public caning at a mosque after being found guilty of the Islamic offense of khalwat—close proximity between unmarried individuals. This marks his third conviction for the offense, according to state officials and local media reports.
The Syariah Court in Terengganu, a conservative state in northeastern Malaysia, handed down the sentence on November 20. The man, who works in construction, was ordered to receive six strokes of the cane and pay a fine after he admitted guilt, as reported by Bernama, Malaysia’s national news agency.
Terengganu state executive council member Muhammad Khalil Abdul Hadi confirmed the punishment is set to be carried out publicly at a mosque on December 6, following Friday prayers, provided no appeal is filed.
“What makes this case unique is the judge’s directive for the punishment to be conducted openly,” Khalil noted in a Facebook video statement. “This represents a shift in Terengganu, where such penalties were previously administered in private settings.”
This case is significant, as the man will be the first individual in the state to be publicly caned for khalwat. He was previously sentenced in February for a similar offense, shortly after amendments to Terengganu’s Islamic laws came into effect in 2024.
A Dual Legal System
Malaysia operates a dual legal framework, where Islamic laws govern family and moral matters for Muslims alongside a secular legal system. In the secular courts, caning is prescribed for crimes like drug trafficking and rape, though it excludes women, men over 50, and those sentenced to death. However, Syariah Courts in some states can impose whipping on Muslim men and women for offenses under Islamic law.
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Terengganu, governed by the Islamist party Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS), has long advocated for stricter interpretations of Islamic laws. The state has made headlines for other controversial punishments, including the public caning of two women in 2018 after they were convicted of attempting same-sex relations. That incident drew widespread condemnation from human rights groups, raising concerns about the growing strictness of moral policing.
The case underscores ongoing debates about the application of Islamic law in Malaysia and its impact on human rights, sparking conversations both locally and internationally.