KUALA TERENGGANU: A construction worker will become the first person in Terengganu to be whipped in public for committing khalwat for the third time.
Khalwat or close proximity is an offence under Section 31(a) of the Syariah Criminal Offences (Takzir) (Terengganu) Enactment Amendment 2022.
Terengganu Syariah High Court senior judge Kamalruazmi Ismail sentenced Mohd Affendi Awang, 42, to six strokes of the rotan and a fine of RM4,000 after he pleaded guilty to the charge.
Kamalruazmi also ordered Mohd Affendi to be jailed six months if he fails to pay the fine.
The court ordered the whipping of the widower, who has five children, to be carried out at the Al-Muktafi Billah Shah Mosque here on Dec 6 after Friday prayers, if he does not file an appeal within 14 days, Bernama reported.
Earlier, Mohd Affendi pleaded guilty to being with a 52-year-old woman who was not his wife or mahram at around 1.40am on June 16 in a house in Kerteh near Kemaman.
The public whipping sentence was imposed on Mohd Affendi as it was his third offence after being convicted of the same offence in July last year and February this year.
In his judgment, Kamalruazmi said that based on Syariah and religion, the aim of imposing any punishment is to serve as a lesson, education and prevention so that the same offence is not repeated, and serve as a reminder to the public.
“You have been whipped and jailed, yet still do it again.
“The first-time punishment should have given you a reason to repent,” he said.
The prosecution was led by Deputy Chief Syarie Prosecutor Nik Mohd Shahril Irwan Mat Yusof while Mohd Affendi was not represented by a lawyer.
On Feb 19, Mohd Affendi was sentenced to four strokes of the cane and fined RM3,000 after pleading guilty to committing khalwat for the second time.
He was the first person in Terengganu to be whipped for committing khalwat.
