A Malaysian Islamic court has sentenced a young unmarried Muslim couple to six strokes each of the cane after they were caught trying to have sex in a car, a report said Friday. The Sharia High Court in central Selangor state also fined Mohamad Shahrin Abdul Majid, 29, and his girlfriend Nadiah Najat Hussin, 24, 5,000 ringgit (1,400 dollars) each, the New Straits Times reported.
The amorous couple, who pleaded guilty, were clad only in undergarments when they were caught in a carpark, the report said. Premarital sex is banned under Islamic law. Judge Mohammad Khalid Shaee said the caning sentence would not be carried out immediately pending an appeal. He then advised the pair to marry as soon as possible. "You are still young ... after Hari Raya (the Eidil-Fitr holiday) seek consent from both your parents to marry," he was quoted as saying by the New Straits Times. Court officials could not be reached for comment.