Kota Kinabalu: The public caning carried out in Terengganu recently is appropriate and aligns with the principles of “takzir” in Islamic law, said Sabah Mufti Datuk Bungsu @ Aziz Jaafar.
He said “takzir” refers to punishments determined by religious authorities or the Government for offences where specific penalties are not explicitly outlined in the Syariah.
AdvertisementHence, the execution of this punishment is seen as consistent with the requirements of Syariah law and aims to serve as a deterrent to the community.
“In Sabah, people say if something is hidden or kept secret, no one will know about it, and it will not serve as a deterrent. That is one of the reasons why such punishments need to be carried out in public (for selected individuals).
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Nevertheless, Bungsu cautioned against politicising or turning this issue into a subject of religious debate, as it reflected the “ijtihad” (independent reasoning) of the religious authorities in Terengganu.
Advertisement (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});He emphasised that the “ijtihad” decision made by Terengganu cannot be annulled by other parties.
In Sabah, he noted that similar punishments have previously been implemented, for example, in Tawau.
Advertisement (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});“I was informed by the Chief Syariah Judge of Sabah that this punishment has indeed been carried out, such as in Tawau, although I cannot recall the exact date.
“Every state has its own approach. If any state disagrees, it is beyond their jurisdiction to overturn another state’s ‘ijtihad”. We support this implementation as it complies with Islamic law,” he said.
The recent punishment of six strokes of the cane for a male Syariah offender in Terengganu has garnered attention from various parties.
However, Bungsu urged everyone to understand the context of the ruling before passing judgement.