Unmarried Malaysian couples face jail for New Year’s Day ‘close proximity’ offences

THE MADNESS that is Islam daily gives rise to all sorts of barmy behaviour, but this really takes the biscuit.

A Muslim couple pictured in Klang, Selangor. Let's hope they'd tied the knot

In the early hours of January 1, scores of Malaysian Islamic “morality” police came a-knocking at the doors of budget hotels in central Selangor state.

The dawn raid, according to this report, netted 52 unmarried couple who were sharing rooms.

The Muslim miscreants – mostly students and young factory workers – are expected to be charged with  the offence of khalwat, or “close proximity,” which under Malaysia’s Islamic Shariah law which forbids couples not married to each other being alone together in a private place.

Said Hidayat Abdul Rani, a spokesman for the Selangor Islamic Department:

We chose to have this large-scale operation on New Year’s Day because many people are known to commit this offense while celebrating such a major holiday.

In Selangor, khalwat carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison and a fine.

The shariah laws apply only to Malaysia’s Muslims, who make up nearly two-thirds of the population, and not to the Christian, Buddhist and Hindu minorities.

Phew! That’s a relief.