Fresh doubts over Malaysia's 'whip-for-drinking-beer' model's caning sentence

Kuantan (Malaysia), Nov. 13 (ANI): The caning sentence of the Malaysian 'whip-for-drinking-beer' model Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno has not been carried out as a doubt (syubahah) was raised on the implementation.

Replying to a question regarding the delay in implementation of the sentence, Pahang Religious Affairs Committee Chairman Mohamad Sahfri Ab Aziz said they are being careful in carrying out the punishment, especially on female offenders.

"In our 52 years of independence, we have not had a female caner," he said, adding that a similar punishment had been carried out for the same offence on an Indonesian man, whereby he received six strokes of the cane at the Penor Prison.

Kartika, 32, was sentenced to six strokes of the rotan and a fine of 5,000 ringgits for drinking beer in a local bar.

Sahfri clarified that Kartika's sentence complied with regulations approved by the Pahang state assembly and jurisdiction allocated by the Federal Constitution through the Syariah Courts 1965.

He said that although the Islamic laws fixed between 40 to 80 canings for alcohol consumption, the Syariah Court had no jurisdiction to impose hudud sentences. (ANI)