A COUPLE chose to be sentenced to sharia whipping rather than jail after pleading guilty to charges of ‘preparing’ to commit extramarital sex in December last year.
The accused, Muhammad Syahmi Faris Latif, 25, and his partner, Hafiqah Qurratu Aini Azlan, 23, chose as they did not have enough money to pay the fine, as well as wanting to avoid being sentenced to prison.
Terengganu Syariah High Court Judge Nik Mohd Shahril Irwan Mat Yusof later sentenced both accused to four strokes of the cane after the guilty plea was recorded.
According to the charge, the couple, who are a lorry driver and a restaurant assistant, were caught semi-nude in the back seat of a car behind a building in the Marang district, at 10.45 pm on 4 December 2025.
For the offence, they were charged under Section 29 of the Syariah Criminal Offences (Takzir) (Terengganu) Enactment 2001, which is an act in preparation for having extramarital sex.
The section provides for a fine of up to RM5,000 or imprisonment for up to three years or whipping not exceeding six strokes, or any combination of these punishments, if convicted.
Nik Mohd Shahril then ordered the whipping sentence against both accused to be carried out on June 7 at Marang Prison, once the appeal period has expired.
The prosecution for the case was handled by the Deputy Syariah Prosecutor, Terengganu Syariah Prosecution Department, while both accused were not represented. – May 17, 2026
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