Caning for drinking beer in public

For those who have been following the story of the part-time model to be caned for drinking beer in public last year, Home Minister, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, has given clearance to the Prisons Department to cane part-time model, Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno.

The clearance was given after he observed how the caning would be conducted. The caning demonstration was conducted by a woman officer with a department director-general, Datuk Zulkifli Omar, in attendance.

The woman officer tapped the back of a chair with the cane. There was little force involved and it was not going to inflict pain, not even like the caning carried out in schools in those days.

The Home Minister said that

“I am now satisfied that the caning can be carried out by the department if the court decides to proceed and enforce the sentence,”

The Home Minister had recently said the ministry needed to study the proper procedures before caning the woman according to Syariah law, adding that he would not allow the department to execute the caning sentence if it did not have the knowledge and expertise to do it.

Kartika, a 32-year-old mother-of-two, was fined RM5,000 and ordered to be whipped six times for drinking beer in a hotel in Cherating last year.

Her sentence has been deferred until after Ramadan.

Several parties, such as the Bar Council, have called for the sentence to be annulled.

Hishammuddin said that although he was now satisfied that the department was able to conduct the caning, he still felt it had no experience to do so.

“This is because the woman (Kartika) will be the first to be caned (under Syariah laws applicable to Muslims). Four men who have received caning sentences by the Syariah Court are appealing their sentences,” he said.


In an article today, the Pahang Islamic Religious Department (JAIP) is prepared to proceed with the caning but the implementation of the punishment would depend on the review by the Kuantan Syariah High Court Appeals Panel which was expected to be concluded after the Hari Raya (Muslim festival).

The decision on the review will be announced by the Pahang Syaria Chief Judge.

“Society does not understand the difference between the syaria caning which aims to educate the offender, and civil caning which is most painful to the offender,” said JAIP Director at a function yesterday.


Source: The Star