KUALA TERENGGANU: The state government is mulling a proposal to institute public caning for those found guilty of syariah offences.
State Information, Dakwah and Syariah Empowerment Committee chairman Dr Muhammad Khalil Abdul Hadi said, however, that certain procedures will need to be scrutinised beforehand.
He said things were still subject to existing enactments, though improvements can be made from time to time in efforts to strengthen the implementation of Islamic Syariah law in Terengganu.
"It's (any improvement) in the process and we will look at things from time to time. For now, it (caning) will be carried out in private areas, in prison.
"Actually, if you look at the spirit of punishment for those who commit offences under Islamic Syariah law, it must be carried out in public... but it can be subjective. By public, does it mean in the middle of a public place like a market, or is it a mosque? Or can it be just anything?
"If caning is carried out in prison, too, it can be said to have been done in public, as it is witnessed by certain people. So, based on this, we carry on what we are doing now (while the proposal is studied in detail)," he said.
Khalil was speaking to reporters after presenting advance nafkah payments to 16 people organised by the Terengganu Syariah Court Family Support Department.
Meanwhile, Terengganu Syarie Court Chief Judge Datuk Wan Mohd Zakri Wan Mohd said existing laws allow for a judge to decide where caning procedures take place.
"Currently, when a judge does not specify where the caning will take place, it is automatically done in prison," he said.