Kuala Lumpur (Pakistan News) A man has been publicly caned for spending time alone with a woman in the Muslim-majority country of Malaysia.
According to Reuters, 42-year-old Muhammad Afandi Awang was publicly caned for “soloing” after Friday prayers at a mosque in the Malaysian state of Terengganu.
Malaysia has secular laws as well as Islamic criminal and family laws that apply only to Muslims.
Muhammad Afandi, a father of five, was sentenced to six lashes and a fine after pleading guilty last month.
According to local media, Muhammad Afandi underwent a medical examination before being sentenced.
The punishment was witnessed by around 90 people in the mosque, and a heavy police presence was also present at the scene.
According to the report, in 2018, two women in the state of Terengganu were caned twice in a courtroom in the presence of dozens of people for having homosexual relations, which caused a lot of uproar among human rights organizations.
The ruling party’s deputy president, Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, said that the implementation of public punishment for criminals in private serves to teach people to follow the commands of Allah.
The Malaysian Human Rights Commission criticized the court decision, saying that this punishment undermines human rights, dignity and the rule of law, and also raises questions about the legality of public caning.