KOTA BARU: A man in Kota Baru has been ordered to attend counseling after he was caught wearing shorts in a public area.
The Kelantan Islamic Religious Department (JAIK) said one of its officers had issued a notice to the man after he was caught in “indecent attire” while buying a burger at a stall on Monday night.
An online news portal had earlier quoted the man, identified as Wan Khairul Hayyee Wali, 30, as saying that he had just finished a futsal game and was still in sports attire when he was spotted by the religious authorities.
The JAIK enforcement officer had told him that he was in breach of the Syariah Criminal Enactment for exposing his knees, thus revealing his ‘aurat’.
(The aurat, or areas of modesty which must be covered for Muslim men, begin from the navel down to the knees)
JAIK assistant chief (enforcement division) Mohd Fadzuli Mohd Zain, explaining the matter, said Wan Khairul would not have been penalised had he been wearing the attire on the futsal court.
He said the ruling is not a new one as it was introduced several years ago.
“This is not the first case. We have issued similar notices to three other men for same offences in our checks since early this year.
"All three have since attended the counseling sessions. The fourth person had also promised to attend the session soon," he said.
It is understood that the ruling only applies to Muslims, and that those who attend the counseling sessions are not required to pay any fines for the offence.