Link to article, "Caning of Muslim women was legal: DPM" @
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp...900&sec=nation
Quote:
"On Wednesday, Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein announced that three women had been caned on Feb 9 at the Kajang Prison under Section 23 (2) of the Syariah Criminal Offences (Federal Territories) Act 1997 for having illicit sex.
All Women’s Action Society (Awam) president Sofia Lim Siu Ching said the Home Ministry needed to explain why the punishment was carried out in secret, The Star Online reported Thursday.
"The expediency and the secrecy reek of bad faith and betray a troubling disregard for public opinion on an issue that has drawn attention around the globe,” she said in a statement Thursday.
Sisters in Islam (SIS) executive director Dr Hamidah Marican said the three cases constituted further discrimination against Muslim women in Malaysia.
“It violates constitutional guarantees of equality and non-discrimination as the whipping of women under Syariah Criminal Offences legislation contradicts civil law where women are not punishable by caning under Section 289 of the Criminal Procedure Code,” she said.
Dr Hamidah asked whether the men involved were similarly caned, The Star Online reported.
The caning punishment meted out by the Syariah court is legal and how the international community looks at it, is up to them."-end of quotation.
Well done Malaysia, carry out the sentence first then announce it so there won't be any hindrance like in the case of part-time model Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno being sentenced by the Syariah court to caning for drinking beer in July last year.
I, too would like to know if the men involved were similarly caned. It reeks of hypocrisy if nothing was done to them.
I don't think it is going to look good for Malaysia in its handling of this case especially knowing the public opinion in Malaysia and around the globe. Looks like Malaysia heading towards a more radical form of Islam.