Kelantan approves public caning with amendment to Syariah law

PETALING JAYA: The Kelantan state assembly has approved public caning with an amendment to the Kelantan Syariah Criminal Procedure Enactment 2002.
The amendment was passed by the state assembly today.
Deputy Menteri Besar Datuk Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah said previously canings were done in the prison, The New Straits Times reported today.
"However, with the amendment, the sentencing can be carried out in public or prison depending on the court's decision. This is in accordance with the religion, as in Islam the sentencing must be done in public," he was quoted as saying.
The amendment was proposed by state Islamic Development, Dakwah and Information committee chairman Datuk Nassuruddin Daud and seconded by state Women, Family and Welfare committee chairman Mumtaz Md Nawi.
Nassuruddin when tabling the amendment said there was a need to make changes to the law as it had been quite some time that it had not been amended, the report said.
"Among the amendments are the introduction of public canings and the acceptance of video and other electronic equipment as evidence in court trials. The other amendments are technical in nature like how the caning will be carried out and so on," the Times quoted him as saying.