KUALA LUMPUR: Two Malaysian women in Terengganu have been sentenced to caning after they admitted having sex in contravention of strict Islamic laws, an official said Tuesday, sparking outrage from rights groups.
Members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community have increasingly faced pressure in the Muslim-majority country in recent years, with officials frequently accused of targeting them.
The women, aged 22 and 32, were arrested in April by Islamic enforcement officers after they were found in a car in a public square in Terengganu.
They were brought before the Syariah court on Sunday and admitted to breaking a syariah law that forbids sexual relations between women.
They were sentenced to six strokes of the cane each and fined RM3,300, Mohamad Khasmizan Abdullah, a prosecutor with the Terengganu religious department told AFP.
"This is a serious case. The prosecutors urged the court to impose the maximum sentence," Khasmizan said.
He said if the sentence was carried out, they would be the first women to be caned in Terengganu for breaking Islamic laws. They are free on bail and their sentence is set to be carried out on August 28, although they have the right to appeal. --AFP