PAS No 2 rejects Bar Council’s idea to cull caning

Nasharuddin not in agreement with the bar council. - Picture by Choo Choy May

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 26 — PAS deputy president Nasharudin Mat Isa broke a long silence to come out and reject the Bar Council’s idea to do away with caning in a brewing controversy over Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno’s punishment for drinking beer.

Saying he was willing to discuss the matter with the Bar Council, Nasharudin went on to explain that punishments in Islam is to educate and create awareness to Muslims not to repeat crimes either by criminals or ordinary citizens, adding whipping is mentioned in the Quran and hadiths.

“We have to reject the Bar Council’s move to urge the government to do eliminate whipping for any offence,” the Bachok MP said in a statement today.

Kartika, a 32-year-old mother of two and a part-time model, received a reprieve from caning last Monday due to the Ramadan fasting month. She has paid a RM5,000 fine but Pahang syariah authorities have said she will be caned after Ramadan but there are moves now to rescind the sentence.

“The reasons given by the Bar Council to support its proposal is inaccurate and not strong. Each punishment stated in the country’s laws is logical and is to teach the wrong-doers and citizens,” he said.

Nasharudin only surfaced publicly in the recent Permatang Pasir by-election after being criticised within the Islamist party for supporting unity talks with rivals Umno that were mooted by party president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang. The party has since dropped the idea.

The party’s Islamic stance has not stopped it from winning yesterday’s by-election despite the significant Chinese minority there and Barisan Nasional’s campaign to portray it as either a puppet for the DAP or a hardline party.

Nasharudin also linked weak enforcement of punishment to Malaysia’s rising crime index, noting that people are no longer scared to commit crimes as the punishment does not give a psychological impact or frighten people and wrongdoers.

He also said Kartika had accepted the syariah court’s judgment and wanted the punishment as she regretted her offence, adding she has rejected moves to sue any parties and wanted the caning to be carried as soon as possible.

“I hope she has really repented and wants to be a pious person,” Nasarudin said.

He also hoped the Bar Council will review its proposals and said PAS is willing to discuss the issue with them, calling on syariah lawyers to have dialogues with the Malaysian Bar to explain Islamic jurisprudence.