IF people don’t agree with the caning of two lesbians in Terengganu, they should take it up with their assemblyman to get the laws changed, said Khalid Samad.

The federal territories minister said this is because states are in charge of their own religious laws.

“We (Malaysia) are made of many states in terms of religion, and there are laws which have been passed in the state assembly.

“If they (people) don’t like the laws, they can bring it up to their state assemblyman.

“If they want to change the laws then they have to ask their assemblyman to table a motion for the laws to be amended,” he told reporters after officiating a beautification project in Bukit Bintang.

Two women were caned six times each in Kuala Terengganu after pleading guilty to same-sex relations on August 12. The women, aged 22 and 32, were also fined RM3,300.

The punishment was carried out by officers from the Kajang Prisons Department and was done at the Kuala Terengganu Shariah High Court in front of 100 people.

On the issue of the caning being public, Khalid said that it was done according to the law.

Earlier today, Amanah Women chief Siti Mariah Mahmud said caning women was legal and the Terengganu court’s decision should be respected. 

She said Malaysia had accepted a dual legal system and that all parties should respect the court’s sentence. – September 4, 2018.