FIVE individuals convicted of offences under Terengganu’s Syariah laws have undergone a total of 20 strokes of judicial caning at the Marang Prison Court, underscoring the state’s continued enforcement of religious criminal provisions.
The punishments were carried out on Sunday morning under the supervision of prison authorities and authorised officials in accordance with procedures prescribed under state Syariah legislation.
The offenders arrived at the court complex at approximately 10.05am in a vehicle operated by the Terengganu Islamic Religious Affairs Department (JHEAT) before being escorted into the prison court for the execution of their sentences.
Those punished comprised two married couples and one woman convicted in separate Syariah cases.
The first couple, Muhammad Shazmel Aqimie Razalee, 26, and Tengku Nur Faresha Ulani Tengku Ahmad Farek, 24, each received three strokes of the cane after being convicted of repeated khalwat offences.
Khalwat refers to the act of a man and a woman who are not married to each other (and are not close relatives) being in private seclusion together under circumstances considered inappropriate or suspicious.
The Terengganu Syariah High Court had previously imposed the sentence alongside a RM3,000 fine after both pleaded guilty. The court also took into account their previous conviction for the same offence, for which they had been fined in May last year.
A second couple, Muhammad Syahmi Faris Latif, 24, and Hafiqah Qurratu Aini Azlan, 22, each received four strokes following their conviction for making preparations to engage in illicit sexual relations outside marriage.
The pair had been detained by JHEAT enforcement officers on 4 December last year after being found in suspicious circumstances inside a vehicle in Marang.
The fifth offender, Nur Habibah Ajis Tanjung, 20, received six strokes under a separate Syariah court order.
The caning process was conducted by an authorised prison caning officer in the presence of the Prison Director and other designated officials, in line with established regulations governing the implementation of Syariah sentences.
The proceedings commenced at approximately 10.30am and concluded around 30 minutes later.
State religious authorities said all punishments were executed in accordance with the provisions of Terengganu’s Syariah criminal enactments and the procedural requirements prescribed by the relevant authorities.
The enforcement reflects the state’s ongoing application of Syariah criminal laws, which provide for fines, imprisonment and caning for certain offences under Islamic jurisdiction. - June 7, 2026
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