Kartika and her husband,Muhammad Afandi Amir at her family's Aidilfitri open house party at Camp Lang Buana. – Picture by Choo Choy May
KUALA KANGSAR, Sept 24 – It has been three months since she was sentenced to six strokes of the rotan and a RM5,000 fine for drinking beer in a Pahang nightclub.
And now. Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno, the Muslim mother of two whose sentence made headlines all over the world, hopes the authorities will just get on with the whipping which had been put off till after the holy fasting month of Ramadan.
Her lawyer had written recently to the Pahang Syariah High Court in Kuantan, asking for the date when the whipping is to be carried out but have yet to receive a reply, reporters were told today.
Lawyer Adham Jamalullail Ibrahim, who was also present at an impromptu press conference here today, appealed to the various parties that had been making public statements over Kartika's case to stop interfering in her personal life.
The lawyer included in his list of “meddlers” the federal government and non-governmental organisation, Sisters in Islam (SIS), which had recently filed for a judicial review against Kartika's sentence.
He pointed out that Kartika had repeatedly and clearly stated she would not appeal against her sentence and asked the parties to respect his client's decision.
He added that they may take legal action against these parties for trying to force his client to do something against her wishes.
“We may sue Sisters in Islam for damages,” the lawyer said, adding that Kartika had not given her permission to them to act on her behalf.
Adham, who is an Ipoh-based Syariah lawyer, had recently taken over Kartika's case from the previous lawyer appointed by the Kuantan Syariah High Court to act for her during the trial.
He told reporters he had also applied to the court on Sept 16 to be included in any legal action involving Kartika, and asked for a copy of the court papers to find out what had taken place during the trial itself as the trial lawyer could not be contacted.
Speaking to reporters today at her family's Aidilfitri open house party at camp Lang Buana, a scenic homestay camp owned by her father near here, Kartika said this year's celebration has been no less enjoyable.
It overlooks the Perak river in Karai, somewhere in between the road from here to Sungai Siput.
“I just wants to get on with my life”, she said, reaching for her younger child who had ambled out from back verandah.
But until the sentence is executed, she is unable to move forward, Kartika related, aided by her father and elder sister who hovered at her elbows.
The 32-year-old was previously reported to have voiced plans to further her studies. But asked today about her plans for after the caning, Kartika dressed in a demure olive green head scarf and floral baju kurung only smiled.
Elder sister Ratna Seri Dewi, 34, swooped in to her rescue, telling reporters that Kartika was unable to make plans when her future was murky – she could not even say when she could return to Singapore, where her husband works and her two children, a boy and a girl aged seven and five respectively, go to school.
The petite lady with the big smile said she had been preparing for the whipping ever since receiving the verdict from the Pahang Syariah High Court in Kuantan last July.
“I pray,” she answered in a soft voice, her big eyes framed by spectacles cast downwards when asked how she has been “preparing” for the punishment.
Ratna jumped in to elaborate, saying her sister has been performing extra prayers, mostly at night, in addition to the compulsory five times daily prayers required by Islam.
The lush green surroundings have also helped her calm and focus her mind, which had been under stress from the sudden international spotlight over her case, Kartika added.
The controversy over her sentence has drawn the world's attention on Malaysia’s dual-track justice system which provides for separate and additional punishment for Muslims under Syariah laws.
Asked if she thinks the sentence meted out was fair, she paused, drew in a deep breath and said: “I can't say.”
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