MB: Syariah caning milder than school version
KUALA TERENGGANU: The caning of a lesbian couple in Terengganu was milder than that done by school disciplinary teachers, said Menteri Besar Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar.
He said syariah caning aimed only at educating the public without causing injury to the offender, and its implementation should not cause confusion and be perceived negatively.
“I’m not sure if the parties who protested know how the caning is carried out. They should get the right information because it is not as bad as it sounds.
“Several people who witnessed the caning said it was lighter than the ones carried out at schools. Syariah and civil caning are different.”
On Sept 3, the lesbian couple, aged 22 and 32, were caned six times after being found guilty of attempting to have sex in a car at Dataran Arena Square, Dungun, at 1.50pm on April 8.
Samsuri said the caning in Terengganu was not the first as Pahang, Kelantan and Sabah had meted out a similar punishment.
“It was carried out by the Prisons Department and followed procedures.”
In an unrelated development, Samsuri said the state wanted to attract more international runners to join the Sultan Mahmud Bridge International Run to boost tourism.
He said more promotional efforts would be implemented through the state Tourism Department.
“This year, 53,000 people joined the run, including 1,000 from Kenya, Japan, the United States, Laos, India, France, the United Kingdom, Singapore and Indonesia.
“We want to attract more participants to popularise Terengganu as a holiday destination,” he said after flagging off the run at Dataran Batu Buruk here yesterday.