An Indonesian woman was fined RM5,000 by the Syariah High Court in Ayer Keroh, Melaka, after she pleaded guilty to charges of prostitution and committing ‘khalwat’ (close proximity) at a guesthouse in Bukit Cina.
Ika Sitepu pleaded guilty to one charge of prostitution under Section 75 of the Melaka Syariah Offences Enactment 1991, and one charge of ‘khalwat’ under Section 53(2) of the same enactment.
Details
According to the first charge, Ika prostituted herself to a 44-year-old non-Muslim man, who’s not her husband, at the guesthouse in Melaka Tengah at about 3pm on Oct 11.
For the second charge, she allegedly committed ‘khalwat’ with the same man at the same time and location.
Ika and the man were later detained by Melaka Islamic Religious Department (JAIM) enforcement officers during an anti-vice operation, where they found a used condom in a plastic bag near the bed and RM60 in cash on a dressing table.
She eventually confessed to officers about offering a massage lasting about 15 minutes for RM40, with an additional RM20 charged for sexual services.
Officers also discovered that Ika entered Malaysia on Sept 1 using a tourist pass and had been working at the guesthouse for about two weeks.
Fined RM5,000
In mitigation, Ika, who was unrepresented, pleaded for a lighter fine and told the court she had to care for three children following her husband’s passing.
However, Melaka chief Syarie prosecutor Wan Mahyuddin Wan Muhammad sought a punishment that reflected the seriousness of the offences and acted as a deterrent.
Ika was fined RM3,000 for prostitution and RM2,000 for ‘khalwat’. She was also ordered to sit in jail for six months for each charge if she fails to pay the respective fines.
She paid both fines.
