“How far away are we from other uncivilised punishments such as stoning being introduced?
“How far will we allow this to continue before we say this is not Islam, and this is not what we want for our brothers and sisters in Kelantan?” it asked in a statement today.
The group said such a “deplorable” form of shaming was no way to solve the moral decay that Kelantan was facing, adding that it would only victimise the weaker sections of society.
“Kelantan has witnessed high rates of pornography, rape and incest,” said the statement, referring to a recent Google report on internet surfing behaviour among Malaysians.
“Repression, shaming, and punishment does not lead to higher Islamic values.
“This type of approach to ‘managing’ behaviour in Kelantan will only create an increasingly repressive environment, and unfortunately, as we have seen in Acheh, with women and the poor bearing the brunt,” said SIS.
Yesterday, the Kelantan state legislative assembly unanimously passed the Syariah Criminal Procedure Enactment 2002 (Amendment 2017), in what the state government said was part of efforts to streamline sentencing under Islamic criminal law.
“Caning can now be carried out inside or outside of prison, depending on the court’s decision,” said Deputy Chief Minister Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah, adding that Islam “requires that sentencing must be done in public”.
SIS however questioned the view that such a punishment was sanctioned by Islam.
“We demand for the Kelantan state government to reveal to us where exactly in the holy Quran does it command punishments such as public caning,” it added.
The group urged Putrajaya as well as the public not to ignore the latest move, saying it was a threat to the nation’s values and aspirations.
“This corruption and use of Islam to deal with social issues is seeping into every aspect of our lives and will destroy the very social fabric on which our forefathers built this great country.”
Last April, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang brought a motion in Parliament to raise the maximum punishment on shariah offenders to 30 years’ jail, RM100,000 fine, and 100 strokes, from the present three-year prison term, RM5,000 fine, and six strokes of the cane.
The move is largely seen as part of efforts to introduce hudud, a set of punishments implemented by some Muslim countries which includes stoning, amputation and death.