Written by Wong Choon Mei, PoliticsNow Malaysia
KUALA LUMPUR (politicsnowmy.blogspot.com) - Are Malaysians bloodthirsty? Are they sadists and amoral voyeurs who crave to see a man whipped in public for committing a form of adultery.
It would appear so with the police limiting the crowd size to 70 and banning all electronic and telecommunications devices so as to prevent any recording of the Islamic 'punishment'.
“Only 70 people will be allowed into the area where the caning is to take place. I urge everyone to respect the law and avoid causing disturbances,” Kuala Terengganu police chief Azli Noor said in a statement.
Those who fail to jostle for the limited number of 'prime time' seats will be thrown out of the mosque after completing their Friday prayers, warned Azli.
BLOWING WITH THE PAS WIND & GIVING IN TO PEER PRESSURE?
Affendi Awang, 42, will become the first individual in Malaysia's eastern coastal state of Terengganu to be publicly caned. He will be given six strokes of the cane on Friday after the Muslim shariah court found him guilty of khalwat (or being found in close proximity with a woman who is not his legal wife.
The rather backward and semi-rural Terengganu state, despite its massive oil wealth, is governed by the Pas party - a Muslim-centric opposition party led by influential hardline preacher Hadi Awang. The party is now the country's biggest Malay political party after winning 49 of the federal Parliament's 222 seats in the 2022 general election.
Despite being seen as rather 'extremist' in its policies and politics, few Malay leaders can afford to stand up to it without risking a fallout with the Malay electorate, which is the biggest in the country of over 33 million people. Pas also control three other states in West Malaysia, namely Kelantan, Kedah and Perlis.
Obviously, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has tried to dodge the issue - fearing to offend Pas supporters and add to his image of being a 'blow with the wind' Muslim.
Other rights groups and activists including the G25 have been less fearful, lambasting Pas for violating both federal and shariah court laws.
According to G25, the decision to hold the whipping in a mosque especially after Friday prayers was aimed at creating maximum publicity and humiliation for Affendi - while bolstering Pas credentials as a no-nonsense party that would stand up for Islamic values, come rain or shine.
But what about Islam's well-known values of fairness and compassion, as previously and frequently extolled by Anwar when he led the opposition?
Earlier today, Pas leader Nazrul Nazir defended the planned public whipping, saying it is intended to educate society and prevent moral decay.
He also said all aspects of Affendi’s health, safety and dignity would be safeguarded pursuant to the standard operating procedures issued by the shariah judicial department.
“Public execution of the punishment also aligns with the Islamic principles of ‘al-zajr’ and ‘al-ta’dib’ (prevention and education)," Nazrul wrote in a statement, defending the violent act.
“This is intended to help society realise the severe consequences of sinful actions, while also discouraging others from committing the same offences,” Nazrul added.
NO REPRIEVE SEEN FOR AFFENDI, NO REFORMS FROM ANWAR
Agree or not, the die is cast for Affendi. He will have to take the six strokes of whipping - which at the very lowest level is politically aimed to add another layer of glory to Pas' image and secure for it the perception of being the final arbiter of Islamic matters in Malaysia.
No one foresees any reversal from Pas. And no one expects Affendi, who works as a carpenter, to get much sympathy from his fellow Muslims in the state.
Instead, there seems to be a clamor to be one of the 'lucky' 70 who will get 'ring-side seats'. About 40 police officers and personnel will be deployed to ensure security during the caning Affendi, warn the cops.
"Don't expect any boycott from the more moderate Muslims in Terengganu or any of the other Pas states. It's peer pressure and no one dares to be seen as being un-Islamic by disobeying Pas. And this includes the reformist Anwar. Were are his reforms now for a more civilized and progressive society," a political watcher told PoliticsNow Malaysia.
Written by Wong Choon Mei, PoliticsNow Malaysia
https://politicsnowmy.blogspot.com/
Comments