One lash… and there’ll be no turning back

By Tay Tian Yan (SinChew Daily)

AUG 27 — A little oversight, and Malaysia's image will nosedive to the same levels of Sudan, or Afghanistan, Pakistan or Iran.

Not too long ago, Sudanese woman Lubna al-Hussein was sentenced by the court to 40 lashes for wearing pants, much to the shock and ridicule of the entire world.

All of a sudden, Sudan was given free propaganda on the global media, and the country was seen as autocratic, backward, inhumane and anti-feminist.

Who would want to visit or invest in a country like this?

Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno was sentenced to six strokes of the rotan by the syariah court in Pahang for drinking beer.

Thanks to a publication taboo, the incident has not been given enough weight by the local media; but the news has been carried far and wide by international players such as CNN, BBC, The Associated Press, Reuters, The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, as well as their counterparts in Asia.

Indeed, drinking is haram, unlike wearing pants, but to the international media, they are all thrown into the same category.

And we all know they don't view the case favourably.

Year after year, Tourism Malaysia has been spending enormous amounts of money to promote "Malaysia, Truly Asia". However, it takes a lot of effort to really put the country on the global media.

The verdict by the syariah court in Pahang has surpassed 10 years of effort by Tourism Malaysia in getting the country exposure in the international media.

Malaysia has over and again emphasised that it is practising moderate Islam, and under the auspices of "moderation" a person infringing religious taboos should be served with exhortation or light penalties such as small fines.

Even moderate and open-minded Muslims feel the so-called taboos are a relationship between the believer and God. If punishment must be served, it should be God who passes down the verdict, not anyone else.

If Kartika is eventually caned, the country's image will invariably come under the invisible punishment of the international community.

The country will be seen as one that flogs a woman on religious grounds.

If this were to take place, the government will have problem getting international recognition no matter how hard it sells its "open and moderate" image.

Some in the government are indeed aware of the seriousness of this issue, hence the last-minute halt to the caning and Datuk Seri Najib Razak's advice that Kartika should appeal.

That said, conservative religious clerics and outfits keep exerting pressure, and will not call it a day until and unless a stroke has landed on Kartika's body.

If a precedent is set, any punishment in the name of religion in future will be justified, including punishments handed down on women.

It is certain that with one lash, there'll be no turning back for Malaysia.