Five individuals convicted of offences under Terengganu’s Syariah laws underwent a total of 20 strokes of judicial caning at the Marang Prison Court on Sunday.
The punishments were carried out under the supervision of prison authorities and authorised officials in accordance with procedures prescribed under the state’s Syariah legislation.
The offenders arrived at the court complex at about 10.05am in a vehicle operated by the Terengganu Islamic Religious Affairs Department before being escorted into the prison court for the execution of their sentences.
Sentences carried out under court orders
Those punished comprised two married couples and one woman convicted in separate Syariah cases.
The first couple, Muhammad Shazmel Aqimie Razalee, 26, and Tengku Nur Faresha Ulani Tengku Ahmad Farek, 24, each received three strokes after being convicted of repeated khalwat offences.
Khalwat refers to a situation in which a man and a woman who are not married to each other, and are not closely related, are found in private seclusion under circumstances deemed inappropriate.
The Terengganu Syariah High Court had imposed the punishment together with a RM3,000 fine after both individuals pleaded guilty. The court also took into consideration their previous conviction for the same offence, for which they were fined in May last year.
Separate case involving illicit relations charge
A second couple, Muhammad Syahmi Faris Latif, 24, and Hafiqah Qurratu Aini Azlan, 22, each received four strokes after being convicted of making preparations to engage in illicit sexual relations outside marriage.
The pair were detained by enforcement officers from the Terengganu Islamic Religious Affairs Department on Dec 4 last year after they were found in suspicious circumstances inside a vehicle in Marang.
The fifth offender, Nur Habibah Ajis Tanjung, 20, received six strokes under a separate Syariah court order.
Enforcement follows established procedures
The caning was carried out by an authorised prison officer in the presence of the Prison Director and other designated officials, in accordance with regulations governing the implementation of Syariah sentences.
The proceedings began at approximately 10.30am and concluded about 30 minutes later.
State religious authorities said all punishments were executed in line with the provisions of Terengganu’s Syariah criminal enactments and the procedural requirements set by the relevant authorities.
The enforcement reflects the state’s continued implementation of Syariah criminal laws, which provide for penalties including fines, imprisonment and caning for specific offences under Islamic jurisdiction.
