Kuala Lumpur: The father of the Malaysian model, who could be the first woman to be caned for drinking in public, is hoping that she would be spared the punishment.
Shukarno Mutalib Sunday said: "I`m looking forward to hearing good news and I have sought the counsel of Perak Mufti Tan Sri Harussani Zakaria, who assured me everything would be okay during this holy month."
Shukarno said he and his daughter Kartika would accept any decision made by the authorities.
Kartika, 32, was fined and sentenced to six strokes of the rotan by the Syariah High Court July 20 after pleading guilty to drinking beer at a hotel in Cherating in 2007.
It is understood that the religious authorities are considering reviewing her case, New Straits Times said Monday.
The matter is to come up for a review before the syariah (Islamic religious) court where no appeal can be made since it is time-barred.
The issue hit international headlines after a distraught Kartika refused to appeal and said that she would rather take the punishment in public with her family in attendance.
Shukarno said he was touched by the support from those who sympathised with Kartika.
"Now that it`s Ramadan, it`s never lonely at home. People come with kind words for Kartika, as her child is also sick. There are those who bring food and come to break fast with us."
Shukarno also said the media hype had brought members of many Muslim non-governmental organisations, such as Sisters In Islam, to his doorstep.
"This shows that not all Islam-based NGOs are lobbying for Kartika to be caned. Some want her to undergo religious classes...."
Malaysia has no precedence of a woman being caned.
Kartika was to have been detained at the prison last Monday so that the caning could be carried out. But minutes after she was picked up, she was released.
Pahang Religious Affairs Committee chairman Mohammed Sahfri Abdul Razak had then said that the sentence would be carried out after Ramadan.
However, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and others have others appealed for a review of the case.
Malaysia is a multi-religious society of 28 million people with Muslims in majority and has significant Chinese and Indian minorities.
IANS
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.