The outcome of this appeals process will set a precedent for the future of Malaysian law. If the judiciary does not challenge this type of punishment, it will not only pave the way for more canings, but also invite pressure for even more Sharia.
An update on this story. “Malaysia upholds woman’s caning,” from BBC News, September 28:
An Islamic court in Malaysia has upheld a sentence of six strokes of the cane handed to a Muslim woman who was caught drinking beer in public.
The court appeals panel in Pahang state ruled the sentence on 32-year-old Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno was just.
No date was set for the caning, but if it goes ahead, Shukarno will be the first Malaysian woman to be caned.
The case has caused controversy in Malaysia, where Muslims are subject to Islamic law in personal matters.
While drinking alcohol is forbidden for Muslims, prosecutions are rare.
Analysts say the government fears that the punishment could damage Malaysia’s reputation abroad.
Kartika Sari Dewa Shukarno, a mother of two, was arrested for drinking beer in a beachfront hotel in December 2007.
She previously asked that her punishment be carried out in public, triggering a debate over the use of Islamic laws in the moderate Muslim country.