A 37-year-old single mother was sentenced to caning after she was convicted of committing khalwat — being in close proximity with a man who was not her husband or close relative.

She is the first woman to be sentenced to caning for khalwat in Terengganu.

Convicted of a similar offence previously

Nurfifi Amira Nawi, a mother of one, had been convicted of a similar offence in 2018 and was fined, The Star reported.

She was caught committing khalwat in a house in Kemaman in Terengganu, Malaysia at 3:15pm on Jan. 31, 2024.

A 40-year-old man who was not her husband or mahram was also in the house at the time.

In Islam, mahram refers to a family member with whom marriage would be considered unlawful, or haram, according to the The Oxford Dictionary of Islam.

She pleaded guilty to the offence.

Convicted a similar offence previously

Based on Terengganu's laws, khalwat offenders can be handed up to six strokes of the cane, fined up to RM5,000 (S$1,420), or three years in prison, for their second and subsequent offence.

On Apr. 17, 2024, Terengganu's Syariah High Court judge sentenced Nurfifi Amira to six strokes of the cane and a fine of RM4,000 (S$1,140), or eight months in jail in default.

He ordered that the caning be carried out on May 6, should Nurfifi Amira fail to submit an appeal within a 14-day window after the sentencing.

The judge also advised Nurfifi Amira to get married immediately to avoid committing a similar offence again.

He said: "You said you wanted to marry, but no action was taken. There is no remorse."

Top image by Bernama