So Malaysian model Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno may get her wish to be caned for drinking alcohol fulfilled soon. An appeals panel at the Shariah High Court in the Malaysian state of Pahang has reviewed her sentence, and decided to uphold the caning sentence. The date for carrying out the caning sentence (which will make Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno the first woman to be caned in Malaysia) has not been fixed.
In announcing the decision to uphold the caning sentence, Syarie Chief Judge Datuk Abdul Hamid Abdul Rahman said of the original sentence: “I found that the High Court judge had acted accordingly within his jurisdiction. As such, the decision stays.” Jurisdiction here refers to Section 136 of the Pahang Islamic Administration and Malay Customs Enactment 1982 (amended 1987).
Confirming earlier press reports that he had intervened to order a judicial review, he said: “As the Pahang Syarie Chief Judge, I can make the review any time and I did so before the Hari Raya Aidilfitri.”
The caning sentence was all set to be carried out earlier but Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno got an unexpected reprieve when it was aborted on grounds that it would be inappropriate to carry out the caning during the holy month of Ramadan.
But now Ramadan is over, and the the caning sentence has been upheld. Earlier Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno said the she is ready to be caned. Now her father, Shukarnor Abdul Muttalib also confirmed this. He said: “She is ready to face her punishment and all she hopes for now is that it be done professionally and according to procedures set out in Islam.”
Syariah High Court Justice Datuk Abdul Rahman Md Yunos said: “It is now up to the Pahang Islamic Religious Department to implement the punishment. The department is responsible in enforcing the penalty imposed.”
But the actual caning will be done by the Prisons Department which recently organized a caning demonstration for Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein. Director General Datuk Zulkifli Omar and a lady officer gave the caning demonstration. The Home Minister was impressed. He said: “She tapped the back of a chair with the cane. There was little force involved and it was not going to inflict pain, not even like the caning carried out in schools in those days”. The caning would be done with a thin stick on the back and would be largely symbolic rather than aimed at causing pain or leaving scars on the body.
If and when the caning sentence is carried out, Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno will enter the history books as the first woman to be caned in Malaysia and Malaysia’s image as a moderate Muslim country will be affected. But more than than, Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno may well proceed on to a new career.
According to a recent press report, Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno has confirmed that a producer had met her last month at her father’s resort home to invite her to star in a movie on her ordeal.
So will Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno become an actress next? She is not confirming now: “It is too far ahead. I can’t think of anything beyond my punishment at the moment.”
When will Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno confirm her acting interest? Not surprisingly, only after her caning is carried out.
Earlier posts
Model Caning Case – Kartika All Prepared
Kartika’s Caning – Sisters In Islam Intervenes
Kartika Wants Caning Sentence To Be Carried Out
Caning A Woman Under Syariah Law
Model Caning Case – Malaysian Prison Authorities Ready To Cane
Who Is Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno?
No date has been confirmed yet? Waiting with bated breath for the next development…