Corpun file 0940 at www.corpun.com

The Star, Kuala Lumpur, 8 June 1997

Dept to cane sex offenders

JOHOR BARU: The state Religious Affairs Department has agreed to impose whipping for sex offences including prostitution, pimping, sexual intercourse outside wedlock and two other sexual acts.

State Religious Affairs Committee chairman Datuk Abdul Kadir Annuar said the new law was included under the Syariah Criminal Offences Enactment 1997.

He said, besides a RM5,000 fine, offenders would be given six strokes of the rotan or jail of up to three years or any combination of the penalties upon conviction.

The other two offences are lesbianism and sodomy.

Abdul Kadir said although the new enactment was passed on May 19, the state had to get the sultan's consent to implement it.

He said sentences in the new enactment which included whipping would only be imposed once the state received the sultan's approval.

"We need to give the public a clear indication of our stand in curbing immoral activity which has increased over the past years," he said.

Corpun file 1069 at www.corpun.com

The Star, Kuala Lumpur, 20 June 1997

Association: Whip dirty old men who rape

PENANG: Elderly male rapists must also be whipped because they are responsible for many such crimes, according to the Penang Family Planning Association.

Its president Tunku Datuk Dr Ismail Jewa said yesterday police reports showed that most rape and incest cases involving young children were committed by those in their late 40s to mid-60s.

"Offenders should not be let off just because of their age," he said, adding that "dirty old men capable of raping young girls were fit to be whipped."

"Whipping has proven to be an even more effective crime deterrent than jail imprisonment or fines," he said in urging the Government to amend Section 289 of the Criminal Procedure Code which forbids the whipping of male rapists above 50 years old.

Elaborating on his speech after opening the association's annual general meeting, he said, however, the caning should only be meted out after a thorough physical examination.