Yesterday (Monday, 3rd September), 2 Muslim women from Terengganu – aged 22 and 32 – experienced Malaysia’s first public caning at the Terengganu Syariah High Court. The sentence was 6 strokes of caning.
This has sparked a loud outcry of injustice from human rights advocates and well-known public figures in our country. One of them include model-turned-actress Alicia Amin.
Alicia Amin reacts to the public canning of 2 Terengganu women involved in lesbian sex case. pic.twitter.com/Wyr1wqHBze
— Hype Malaysia (@HypeMY) September 4, 2018
The “Asia’s Next Top Model” alum took to her Instagram stories to vent her frustration. “So in light of what has happened, it’s not only me that’s crying. It’s the whole bloody world. Like it’s raining… It’s a sad sad f**king day,” she said in the 15-second clip, with the caption, “I’m not mad, the sky is mad”.
In addition to the caning (which was witness by 100 attendees), the lesbian couple was slapped with a RM3300 fine after being sentenced under Section 30 and 59(1) of the Syariah Criminal Offences (Takzir Terengganu). The judge said that the caning was to teach society a lesson.
Alicia reposted a tweet from The Malaysian Insight with a few remarks of her own. After expressing that she was “outraged”, she said, “The Malaysian religious authorities managed to charge and punish 2 consenting adults for their relationship but have failed to protect an 11-year-old girl and punish a pedophile. It’s f**ked. Things need to change round here“.
The Malaysian model wasn’t alone in this. Other entertainers including Adibah Noor also posted a rhetorical question. Politicians like Khairy Jamaluddin and Hannah Yeoh have also slammed this method of punishment.
Check ’em out:
should parade and cane the child molesters, rapists, murderers, wife beaters… in public too? yes?
— ADIBAH NOOR 🇲🇾😼 (@adibahnoor) September 3, 2018
Banyak lagi cara untuk menangani isu LGBT. Walaupun termaktub dalam undang2, tak wajar dilaksanakan sebatan di khalayak ramai. Islam teaches us to look after the dignity of every human being. And that mercy is preferable to punishment. https://t.co/FqkTqeoZeA
— Khairy Jamaluddin 🇲🇾🌺 (@Khairykj) September 3, 2018
Education doesn't work this way. https://t.co/xAJjY78UYS
— Hannah Yeoh (@hannahyeoh) September 3, 2018
What are your thoughts on this matter? Have the Malaysian religious authorities gone too far?
Source: Alicia Amin’s socials.
