THE public whipping imposed on a lesbian couple in Terengganu drew various reactions from the federal government, legal fraternity and rights groups.

Many did not seem to be aware that the Terengganu shariah court was not the first to impose such a penalty on homosexuals, and that other states, including Sabah, had preceded it.

The Terengganu judge had ordered the punishment  to be carried witnessed by the women’s family members, media representatives and the public, under the Syariah Criminal Procedures (Terengganu) Enactment 2001.

Shariah caning is reportedly unlike civil whipping, in that it is not meant to hurt and so the cane should not be swung from a level above the head.

Two other women were also sentenced to whipping for prostitution but they were whipped in prison.

In the May general election, Barisan Nasional lost Terengganu, which it had held since 2004, to PAS PAS won 22 state seats to BN’s 10 .

Most shocking of all was the Kemaman parliamentary seat election that saw defeat of the three-term incumbent Shabery Cheek, who had won with by a landslide in the previous elections.

Seberang Takir assemblyman Ahmad Razif Abd. Rahman attended the ceremony to hand over duties to the new Menteri Besar, Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar, who is the Rhu Rendang assemblyman, on May 15.

Though an opposition state, Terengganu opted for calm and cordial relations with the federal government, presumably in view of its oil royalty claims, the fund of which are much needed.

Failure to receive the oil royalties will mean the state, already facing a budget deficit of RM1.7 billion, will continue to lag behind.

Samsuri has entered the oil and gas royalties of RM1.745 billion as non-revenue receipts in the 2019 state budget, despite no official decision on the matter.

Terengganu has been waiting for payment since Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad issued a statement saying the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government was committed to fulfil the promises in its GE14 manifesto, including paying the source states a 20% royalty on oil.
 
The royalty payments are given on the condition that they are used for the good of the state and not for political purposes. 

In a related development, at the recent state assembly sitting, the state government expressed hope of getting the oil and gas royalty payment of between RM400 million and RM500 million from Petronas before end of the year.

Samsuri said so far, the state government had received RM300 million, which was made in two payments, the first in August and another in early October.

That PAS has a good relationship with Umno in Terengganu is evident, when the two parties concurred on the issue of oil royalty with the setting up of a special committee.

PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang has denied a conflict with Samsuri over the distribution of the oil royalties. Hadi described his relations with Samsuri as good and that there was no issue of toppling the menteri besar. – Bernama, December 23, 2018.