Man, married woman fined for adultery in mosque mortuary

In Melaka, a former mosque assistant and a married woman have been fined RM5,000 each and given 18 months in jail, both pleading guilty to the crime of adultery, known as 'zina', committed at a mosque mortuary. The Syariah High Court judge, Mawardi Che Man, delivered the verdict after both were found guilty under Section 52 of the Syariah Offences (Melaka) Enactment.

The charges arose from repeated acts of adultery that took place between January and April of this year. Initially, they were taken to the Melaka Islamic Religious Department following a police report of rape on June 4. However, investigations determined that the acts were voluntary and repeated. Judge Mawardi emphasized the gravity of the offense, stating that it occurred within a mosque compound, especially in a designated area for purifying the deceased, a place considered extremely sacred.

The court's decision came as a stark reprimand for the male accused, who was formerly a mosque assistant responsible for funeral arrangements, and the female accused, a volunteer assisting with cleaning duties at the mosque. The prosecutor, along with the legal counsel, argued for a sentence fitting the severity of the offense, taking into account the location and the positions held by the accused.