PETALING JAYA: Public caning for repeated “khalwat” (close proximity) offenders aims to educate society and curb the purported escalation of social and moral decay, says PAS Youth.
Its strategic communications director, Nazrul Nazir, defended the public caning by the Terengganu state government, saying that it seeks to preserve morality and protect the religion.
"It is crucial to respect the decisions of the Syariah Court as an institution rooted in divine law and the Federal Constitution.
"Any attempt to challenge these decisions without understanding their basis undermines the integrity of Islamic judicial institutions," he said in a statement on Wednesday (Dec 25).
The Terengganu Syariah Court of Appeal has confirmed that the public caning sentence for a 42-year-old man for serial khalwat will take place on Dec 27.
Mohd Affendi Awang would undergo the sentence of six strokes of the rotan at the Al-Muktafi Billah Shah mosque in Kuala Terengganu.
"As Muslims, we must comprehend the ultimate purpose of this punishment: safeguarding public welfare and averting greater harm in society," added Nazrul.
He stressed that public caning is not an act of injustice but a manifestation of the Islamic justice system, aimed at educating the Muslim community.
"We must understand that Syariah law is not solely punitive; it is a tool for preserving societal harmony.
"This punishment serves as a reminder to us all: let us return to the true teachings of Islam and ensure that our families and communities are shielded from moral degradation," he added.
Last Sunday (Dec 25), the G25 group of prominent retired civil servants warned that the planned public whipping of the man this Friday violates both federal and syariah laws, which do not provide for such punishments.
The group criticised the Terengganu Syariah Appeals Court’s unanimous decision on Dec 11 to uphold the punishment meted out to Affendi Awang by the Syariah High Court.
It added Islam forbids the shaming and humiliation of fellow Muslims and that there was no provision in the Quran for the whipping of sinners in public for khalwat.
G25 also said the fact that the whipping was announced to be held in a mosque after Friday prayers, essentially stripping a person of his dignity and right to privacy, is an injustice and affront to the values of compassion in Islam.
