NGO seeks stay on Malaysian model’s caning

October 5th, 2009 PETALING JAYA - An assistant registrar of the Kuantan Syariah High Court here has turned down a Sisters in Islam (SIS) application for the revision of the Kartika Sari Dewi Sukarno case. According to The Star, the assistant registrar returned all documents that were filed, together with the court fees paid, on September 18.

September 29th, 2009 KUALA LUMPUR - The whipping sentence of former Malaysian model Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno has been upheld by the Kuantan Syariah High Court Appeals Panel. Kartika, 32, was sentenced to six strokes of the rotan and a fine of 5,000 ringgits for drinking beer in a local bar.

September 20th, 2009 KUALA LUMPUR - An NGO has sought a stay on the caning of a part-time Malaysian model convicted for drinking in public. Sisters in Islam (SIS) Friday filed for a stay on the whipping of 32-year-old Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno, who wants to go through the punishment in public to atone for her crime.

September 19th, 2009 PETALING JAYA - A non-governmental group-Sisters in Islam (SIS) -- has filed a petition before the Syariah High Court in Kuantan seeking a stay of the execution of a whipping sentence of part-time model Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno. SIS executive director Dr Hamidah Marican said as an advocacy group working on women's rights in Islam, it was acting in the public interest so as to "resolve controversies and provide clarity on the issue." "We understand from some reports that Chief Syarie Judge of Pahang has also filed for a revision of Kartika's sentence.

September 17th, 2009 Self-proclaimed Malaysian prophet caughtKUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Malaysian authorities captured a Muslim sect leader who claimed to be God's prophet and was on the run for three years, an official said Thursday. Abdul Kahar Ahmad was charged in 2006 in an Islamic law court with spreading false teaching, blasphemy and violating religious precepts, said Muhamad Nazri Basrawi, a prosecutor in the Islamic Religious Department in central Selangor state.

September 17th, 2009 KUALA LUMPUR - The long wait of over two decades has ended for 92 people, many of them ethnic Indians, who were granted Malaysian citizenship as part of the government's drive to cut the backlog. Some openly wept, while others hugged each other in joy at the presentation ceremony held in conjunction with Malaysia Day at the national registration department Wednesday.

September 17th, 2009 Malaysian court orders Muslim lovers caned for sexKUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — An Islamic court has ordered an unmarried couple to be caned for trying to have sex in a car in the latest of a series of harsh punishments for Muslims in Malaysia, a lawyer said Friday. Though Malaysia has long been upheld as an example of a moderate Muslim-majority country, recent verdicts sentencing Muslims to whipping for drinking alcohol have made headlines.

September 16th, 2009 KUALA LUMPUR - Six cane strokes await the waitress who served beer to Malaysian part-time model Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno. The model was earlier sentenced for drinking in public by an Islamic court.

September 16th, 2009 KUALA LUMPUR - Tired of the media glare and concerned groups who come inquiring, a Malaysian part-time model sentenced to caning for drinking in public has issued a "do not disturb" notice through her lawyers. Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno, who was fined RM 5,000 ($1,468) and ordered to be given six strokes of the rotan after pleading guilty to drinking beer at a hotel, has appointed several lawyers to preserve her privacy and that of her family.

September 11th, 2009 KUALA LUMPUR - Firmly denying any links with Sri Lanka's Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a Malaysian Indian legislator Friday sued senior government officials for defamation. M. Manoharan, a legislator from Kota Alam Shah in Selangor state and a former legal advisor of the now-banned Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) said neither he nor any of the other Hindraf leaders had links with the Tamil Tigers.

September 9th, 2009 KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysian immigration officials Tuesday discovered a major human trafficking syndicate when authorities detained 116 Indian and Sri Lankan citizens believed to be headed for Indonesia en route to Australia, news reports said. The men and women, aged between seven months and 50 years, were staying at an apartment in the southern state of Johor, said state immigration deputy director Muhammad Ali Abdullah.

September 7th, 2009 KUALA LUMPUR - American fast-food giant McDonald's Tuesday lost an eight-year trademark battle to stop Malaysian Indian McCurry Restaurant from using the "Mc" trademark. A bench of Malaysia's Federal Court that announced a unanimous decision, also ordered McDonald's to pay RM10,000 ($2,853) in costs to McCurry, which has an outlet in Jalan Ipoh locality in the national capital.

September 2nd, 2009 Players' union won't fight stay in drug caseNEW YORK — Arguing critical evidence may be destroyed, federal prosecutors have asked an appeals court to stay its decision that government agents illegally seized drug testing records of more than 100 baseball players. Now the latest twist: The baseball players' association says it won't fight the prosecutors' request.

September 2nd, 2009 KUALA LUMPUR - S. Selvi, an Indian national working as a housemaid, walked free Wednesday after the Malaysian court of appeal absolved her of the charge of killing her employer.

August 31st, 2009 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.