KUALA TERENGGANU: Terengganu Pakatan Harapan has denied distributing flyers expressing outrage over caning of a lesbian couple today.
Its chairman Senator Datuk Raja Kamarul Bahrin Shah Raja Ahmad said he was shocked when told that the flyers were being distributed outside the court house in the morning, hours before the punishment were meted out on the couple.
“I have been made aware that this false statement has also gone viral on social media.
“I urge those responsible for this to stop this despicable politics of slander and hatred,” said Raja Kamarul, who is also the housing and local government deputy minister.
He reiterated the PH government's stand that homosexual activities, which are often linked to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community, were prohibited.
“We regret that this issue continued to be politicised by certain quarters,” added Raja Kamarul Bahrin.
It was reported today that the women, aged 22 and 32, were each given six strokes of rotan in front of the court’s chief judge Wan Mohd Zakri Wan Mohd, senior judge Rosdi Harun, dan judge Kamalruazmi Ismail at Hall 2 at 10.10am.
On Aug 18, the duo were handed a RM3,000 fine each and whipping after they pleaded guilty to the charge under Section 30 of the Syariah Criminal Code Enactment (Takzir) (Terengganu) Enactment, 2001 which was read together with Section 59(1) of the same enactment, for musahaqah (sexual intercourse between two women).
It was the first such case in Terengganu.
NSTP Terengganu bureau staff also stumbled on the flyers, which carried a PH logo, on the windscreens of their cars.
The flyer, dated Aug 3 this year, came with a statement claiming that PH viewed the matter seriously as it infringed on individual’s personal freedom.
It also claimed that PH was calling on the syariah court to withdraw the punishment and considered it as an oppression towards the LGBT community.