A mother of two from Malaysia became emotional and pleaded for mercy before the Sharia High Court in Melaka after being accused of engaging in sexual activity with another woman's spouse last year.
As reported by Sinar Harian, the defendant, Siti Iqbar Mazlan, aged 35, told Judge Abu Bakar Daud on Thursday that she felt remorse for her deeds and extended an apology to the woman's spouse, Puteri Norfatimah Ishak, who is 25 years old.
As per the allegations, Siti Iqbar and Hairul Mokhsin Zaini, aged 24, were determined to have tried to engage in illegal sexual relations with someone who was not their lawful spouse according to Islamic regulations.
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The crime took place from June 1 to 30, 2025, approximately at 2 am at a residence located in Kampung Sungai Putat, Batu Berendam, within the Central Melaka area.
The two individuals involved faced charges under Section 52 of the Sharia Offenses (Melaka State) Ordinance 1991, which stipulates a penalty of up to 5,000 ringgit (US$1,229), or a prison term of as long as 36 months, or both, upon conviction.
The two individuals admitted their guilt following the announcement of the charges brought against them.
Married Siti Iqbar also sought in her appeal for a lenient penalty, requesting no jail time and a minimal fine due to her responsibility of caring for two children.
She mentioned that she had been unemployed for four months because of this situation and felt embarrassed about her actions.
"Additionally, I had become distant from my family and was shunned by my brothers and sisters due to my embarrassment over what occurred," she stated.
I deeply apologize and haven't communicated with the person (Hairul Mokhsin) for quite some time.
In his appeal, Hairul Mokhsin also acknowledged that he felt remorse for his behavior and expressed repentance, stating that he had come to terms with the repercussions of his error following a broken leg caused by an accident.
He further vowed not to make the same error again and asked for mercy.
"Please do not sentence me to jail since I need to take care of two young kids heading to kindergarten, plus assist my wife with her nasi lemak business," he stated.
"I solely work as a food delivery driver with an unpredictable earnings stream. I admit my guilt, feel remorse for my actions, and vow never to do it again. I ask the court to take this into account and apply a small penalty," he stated.
The head sharia prosecutor from Malacca, Wan Mahyuddin Wan Muhammad, along with sharia prosecutor Radzwan Abdullah, argued for both defendants to receive suitable penalties as a deterrent and to avoid similar offenses happening again.
He further asked the court to consider Hairul Mokhsin's previous criminal history, which included a referral to the Sharia Court concerning the charge of facilitating an unwed pregnancy.
The matter was settled on September 6, 2023, with Hairul Mokhsin receiving a penalty of 2,500 ringgit or 15 days behind bars.
The court subsequently decided that Hairul Mokhsin and Siti Iqbar would each receive fines of 5,000 ringgit and 4,500 ringgit, respectively, or face an eight-month jail term if they were unable to settle the penalties.
Previously, Puteri Norfatimah received a fine of 2,800 ringgit from the Ayer Keroh Magistrate's Court on Monday following her plea of guilt for sharing explicit images and videos featuring her spouse along with Siti Iqbar in December of last year.
He faced charges under Section 292 of the Penal Code, which stipulates a potential imprisonment of up to three years, a monetary penalty, or both, should he be found guilty.
Puan Norfatimah, during her appeal, acknowledged her error and informed the court that she behaved this way due to her emotions following a recent miscarriage.
This narrative was initially released by The Star
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