PUTRAJAYA, Jan 26 — Everyone’s opinions, including from Wanita Umno, will be taken into account before a new law is made to criminalise caning of children, Tan Sri Muhyiddin said today following national uproar over the proposal.
The deputy prime minister also said Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Rohani Abdul Karim’s proposal to criminalise caning has not been finalised by the government yet.
“I think it’s good and it encourages a healthy polemic to get views from all quarters,” Muhyiddin told a press conference here.
Muhyiddin, who is also Umno deputy president, noted that some Muslims and non-Muslims were fine with using the cane to discipline their children as long as it did not lead to abuse, while other parents were against corporal punishment.
Popular Islamic scholar Datuk Dr Mohd Asri Zainal Abidin has refuted claims that caning children is an integral part of educating in Islam, claiming that the religion strongly advocates that parents be merciful instead when teaching their young.
Perak deputy mufti Zamri Hashim urged Muslim lawmakers earlier today to reject attempts to criminalise caning, claiming that it was an effective method to educate the young as prescribed by Islam.
Rohani said Saturday that caning could be an offence under a new law set to replace the Child Act 2001.
She later clarified that the provision proposed by the ministry under the new Child Act is not meant to outlaw all forms of caning of children, only those meted out on child offenders in court.
Currently, Section 91(1)(g) of the Child Act 2001 allows a male child to be sentenced to caning not more than 10 strokes if found guilty of criminal offences.
