On Lesbians’ Public Whipping:

Heng : Instead of  humiliation,  let’s help them to get back on the right track

Logic flies out of the window when PAS glorifies the public humiliation of two young women via its PAS ulama chief Dato’Dr Mahfodz Mohamed who objectified the unconstitutional whipping of the two lesbians as “free marketing” but justifies and permits the rape of an 11-year old girl by an Imam in Kelantan under the grounds of child marriage, although the said betrothal had yet to be registered at the time when news first broke. 

Good grief! Is there now a competition for more “free marketing” ? As a reaction to the public whipping of the lesbian duo, a competition for more open caning. The PAS-led Kelantan state government has renewed its desire to conduct corporal punishment in a mosque compounds and stadiums upon gazetting amendments to its hudud enactments. The Pahang state government now mulls lashing in the open too.

Are Malaysians to sink to the level of photographs-hungry snapping Acehnese when public caning for consensual intercourse between two unmarried adults or the same gender becomes live entertainment or legitimised voyeurism under the basis of “free marketing”? The law becomes a farce and ironic as convicted incestuous fathers or rapists or child sex offenders who do not marry their child victims enjoy the protection of the privacy of being rotan-ed in private within prison premises, hidden away from peering eyes and camera lenses. 

Why this glorification for public flogging and pain till it becomes a lust? So, the skin doesn’t break, but for the rest of their lives, due to the traumatic experience, the young adult females have to look over their shoulders as their appearances have been presented to the public and they are now subject to public scrutiny and further public humiliation. They are mentally scarred.

PAS’ position does not mirror compassion, forgiveness and mercy as embraced by the religion they profess.  

Were these two consenting adults caught in the midst act, or news reports show they were caught “attempting” same sex relations? Why such harsh punishments, intimidation and public shaming.

Shame is heaped on the authorities, people in positions of political power who defend paedophiles sexually grooming and then violating minors – pre-teens who are too young and immature to understand bodily changes or responsibilities that come with marriage  and underage child bearing.

A more sinister crime is child grooming by the Kelantan Imam cum rubber trader, and even the possibility of child/human trafficking as firstly, he has confessed having admired the girl since she was seven years of age. Secondly, he had exploited his position as a person of spiritual piety and a financial provider to the impoverished Thai family who naturally had to cave in if they wanted to continue to be able to put food on their tables.

Wanita MCA reiterates that we respect Islam as it imparts teachings of compassion, mercy, forgiveness. Our women’s wing also does not support nor promote an LGBT lifestyle. Nevertheless, we reject all forms of judicial punishments, especially those which are unconstitutional that have been executed against people deemed by courts to have committed an offence.  We reject selective persecution and discrimination. There is no need to publicly flog people as counselling and sharing sessions can be conducted within an enclosed private domain to discourage same sex attractions/relations.  

Datuk Heng Seai Kie
Wanita MCA Chairman

-MCA online-