Let’s Debate The Caning Of Women

So, don’t whack PAS or Islam for this. Even Malaysia’s English Common Laws of the Christians consider anal and oral sex a crime. Stop screaming and protesting. Ask Pakatan Harapan to table this matter in Parliament and decriminalise anal and oral sex. Then no one can be punished for what Malaysian law calls ‘unnatural sex acts’. Then Pakatan Harapan would not face the danger of Anwar Ibrahim, yet again, going to jail for Sodomy 3.

NO HOLDS BARRED 

Raja Petra Kamarudin

I have noticed that the caning of the two women in Terengganu last week is still being hotly debated by Muslim and non-Muslim liberals alike. And it appears that the issue is not so much the crime but the punishment, and the fact that the two being punished are women. If they had been men then probably no one would have raised any objections.

Instead of debating this on the Internet, and by people who have very little knowledge regarding Sharia laws on top of that, the Pakatan Harapan government should bring this matter to Parliament as soon as possible and get it resolved there. There are many learned Muslims in PAN or Amanah, who are part of Pakatan Harapan, so they surely would know what to do.

The defenders of caning, or of the caning of women, say the strokes are very light and are more ‘symbolic’ rather than punishing and they are merely aimed at shaming or embarrassing the person. The objectors of caning say this is not about how painful the caning may be but about why in the first place should the women be punished for gay sex.

In other words, to hell with the punishment. We are talking about the crime. That so-called crime should not be a crime in the first place.

So, this is what the whole issue is about and why the matter should be brought to Parliament to resolve.

In Malaysia, oral and anal sex attract a jail sentence for up to 20 years on conviction. Oral sex could be between man and woman (husband and wife even), man and man, or woman and woman. Hence the two women in Terengganu could technically be jailed for 20 years. Hence, also, light strokes of the cane are far better than 20 years jail.

And note that, under Malaysia’s English Common Law, anal and oral sex are crimes not only for Muslims. Even Christians, Buddhists, Hindus, atheists, etc., can face punishment. So, this is not about Islam or the Sharia.

Anal sex, when the law was drafted, does not mention plastic toys (because when that law was passed plastic toys did not exist yet), but playing with dildos or vibrators could easily be interpreted as anal sex — if that is where you insert them.

So, this is not about ‘outdated’ or ‘primitive’ Sharia laws from the year 618. This is about current Malaysian laws from the year 2018. Anal and oral sex are crimes in the ‘New’ Malaysia, and unless the Pakatan Harapan government decriminalises anal and oral sex, offenders will get punished (either by caning or jailing in both Sharia Law and English Common Law).

So, don’t whack PAS or Islam for this. Even Malaysia’s English Common Laws of the Christians consider anal and oral sex a crime. Stop screaming and protesting. Ask Pakatan Harapan to table this matter in Parliament and decriminalise anal and oral sex. Then no one can be punished for what Malaysian law calls ‘unnatural sex acts’. Then Pakatan Harapan would not face the danger of Anwar Ibrahim, yet again, going to jail for Sodomy 3.

Oh, and by the way, Malaysia does not allow conjugal visits for prisoners. So, gay sex in men’s and women’s prisons are rampant. And the Pakatan Harapan government knows this (because many of their leaders have been sent to prison). If the Pakatan Harapan government wants to stop ‘unnatural sex acts’ then they should quickly pass a law in Parliament allowing conjugal visits in Malaysian prisons. Can they do this instead of screaming outside Parliament like what they are doing now?