Friday September 25, 2009

Kartika relaxed and ready, may also act in movie after caning

By CHAN LI LEEN

KUALA KANGSAR: Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno seemed a far cry from the distraught woman a few weeks ago when her caning punishment for drinking beer was deferred.

She greeted the media and even had her photograph taken with them.

The 32-year-old part-time model seemed to have put her troubles behind her and was seen enjoying herself at a Hari Raya open house at her father’s resort home in Kampung Jawang near here.

Kartika said she would decide whether to turn to acting only after her caning sentence is carried out.

Kartika seems to have put her troubles behind her while attending to guests and enjoying herself at her parents’ Hari Raya Adilfitri open house in Kuala Kangsar, Perak

“It is too far ahead. I can’t think of anything beyond my punishment at the moment,” said the mother of two.

She is still awaiting news from the Pahang Religious Department as to when she would face her punishment for drinking beer at a hotel in Cherating last year.

Kartika, however, admitted that she was approached by a producer to star in a movie on her ordeal over the Pahang Syariah Court’s decision to cane her six times for the offence.

It is learnt that the producer had met her personally at her father’s resort home last month.

Kartika also clarified that she was not jobless at the time of her arrest but was working as a hospital administrator in Singapore while modelling part-time.

She added that she had aborted her plans to further her studies in hospital administration when the court matter came up.

Her husband, Muhammad Afandi Amir, 38, a software engineer with Reuters, sat next to her throughout the time she spoke to the press.

“It has been a happy Raya despite the troubles. It has not affected our celebration one bit,” he said.

Kartika’s father Shukarno Abdul Mutalib said he had not invited the foreign press to his home but they were nevertheless welcomed.

Only last month, Kartika had been inconsolable and seemed on the brink of an emotional meltdown when the Pahang Religious Department made a U-turn on its decision to mete out the punishment.

Enforcement officers had picked up Kartika from her father’s home to take her to the Kajang prison but stopped by the roadside for some 40 minutes before eventually turning back.

Her reluctance to appeal her punishment sparked an outcry not only in the country but internationally.

Her lawyer, Adham Jamalullail Ibrahim, who was also present, reiterated to the local and foreign media that Kartika would like to go ahead with the punishment.

“We have written to the Pahang Syariah Court to provide us with proceeding papers of what had transpired in the court since 2008,” he said, adding that to date, no news had been received from the court.

“We have also written to the court to include us in whatever proceedings related to the matter. We want to be the fourth party,” he said.

He added that he also wanted to know the procedure to be implemented against Kartika and who would execute the caning.

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