Sharia Court Orders Flogging of Man for Spending Time with Non-Relative Woman

• He received six lashes following a conviction by a Sharia court.
• This marks the first time a Sharia court-ordered flogging occurred outside a courtroom in Malaysia.
• Approximately 90 spectators, including an AFP journalist, witnessed the caning inside the mosque.

A 42-year-old man was flogged in a mosque in Terengganu, Malaysia, on Friday after being convicted by a Sharia court for the Islamic offence of khalwat, or being alone with a woman who was neither his wife nor relative.

This is the first instance in Malaysia where a Sharia court-ordered flogging was carried out outside of a courtroom.

The man, a construction worker, was brought to the mosque in a prison van after Friday prayers, wearing an orange inmate jumpsuit.

He was publicly caned in front of around 90 spectators. Caning is a traditional punishment in Malaysia for violating certain Islamic laws, and the man received six lashes for his conviction.

The Malaysian Bar Association expressed deep concern about the punishment, stating it violated human dignity.

Despite the criticism, some spectators, like 37-year-old Mohd Sabri Muhammad, believed the punishment was necessary to deter immoral acts.

He argued that events like Valentine’s Day or New Year’s create temptations for young people to engage in inappropriate behavior.

Malaysia’s legal system has both civil and Islamic courts, and Sharia law governs personal matters for Muslim citizens. While Sharia caning is rare, it is not unheard of.

In 2018, two women were publicly caned for violating religious laws, a case that also sparked controversy.

The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia condemned the practice, asserting that such physical punishments have no place in modern justice systems.
Critics argue that caning is meant to humiliate as much as it punishes, while others see it as a means to uphold moral conduct in society.