Public Caning in Terengganu Sparks Human Rights Debate

A Malaysian man was publicly caned for the third time after being convicted of the Islamic crime of khalwat. The sentence was carried out in the presence of police and 90 spectators. Human rights groups and Malaysia's Human Rights Commission have condemned the practice, citing legal and ethical concerns.

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 27 - In a rare spectacle, a Malaysian man was publicly caned at a mosque in Terengganu for committing the Islamic crime of khalwat, or close proximity with a non-family member of the opposite sex. The caning drew attention to Malaysia's dual-track legal system, which applies Islamic laws alongside secular ones to Muslim citizens.

The 42-year-old Mohd Affendi Awang, a construction worker and father, was sentenced to six strokes of the cane following a guilty plea. The event, witnessed by 90 people, took place under a strong police presence. It marked the third time Awang faced such a punishment, according to reports from the Malay-language daily Utusan Malaysia and broadcaster Astro Awani.

Terengganu, governed by the Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS), is known for its strict adherence to Islamic law. The practice of public caning has previously stirred human rights concerns, as seen in a 2018 incident involving two women. The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia has decried the punishment as undermining human rights and legality under the Federal Constitution.

(With inputs from agencies.)