KULIM: A married five-month pregnant woman was caught committing khalwat (close proximity) with a man at her rented house in the Kulim Hi-Tech area, here, last midnight.
The couple was detained by a team of enforcement officers from the Kulim Religious Office at 12.06am after receiving a report about the incident.
Kulim Religious Enforcement Officer, Anwar Sharifudin Mat Saad, said after knocking on the door and giving 'salam' for nearly six minutes, the 27-year-old woman opened the door and then allowed them to enter.
He said the investigation found a man in one of the rooms in the house and the inquiry revealed that they were not husband and wife or mahram (unmarriageable kin).
"It raised suspicion of khalwat occurring in the house and they were detained for further action.
"The woman works in Kulim while her husband works in Ipoh, Perak, and they are believed to have been married for only seven months.
"However, the opportunity of living far apart was taken by the woman when her husband was not at home to allow the man to stay with her," he said when contacted today.
Anwar said the investigation found that the woman had known the man for a year because they work for the same company.
He said, when detained, the 28-year-old bachelor claimed that he only stopped by at the woman's house briefly, but further examination found that he had stayed there for more than a day based on the discovery of his numerous clothing items in the house.
"The couple was detained and taken to the nearby police station to make a report and arrest, and to obtain statements.
"The case is being investigated under Section 25(a)(b) of the Kedah Sharia Criminal Offences Enactment 2014 for suspicion of khalwat, and if convicted, they could be fined RM3,000 or imprisoned for two years or both," he said.