Malaysian judge to personally cane guilty robber in court

Malaysian judge to personally cane guilty robber in courtKuala Lumpur - A Malaysian judge surprised his courtroom by announcing he would personally carry out his sentence of 10 strokes of the cane handed down to a man convicted of armed robbery, news reports said Saturday.

Sessions Court judge Zainal Abidin Kamarudin sentenced 20-year old Muhammad Syafiq Abd Wahab to 10 strokes of the cane and 200 hours community service after the court found him guilty of robbing a teenager at knife point last November.

The sentencing would be carried out by the judge in the court, with the offender's parents as witnesses, said Abidin.

"I know it is not a nice feeling for a father to watch his son being caned but it has to be done by a judge," he was quoted by the Star daily as telling the young man's father.

The judge said while this particular form of sentencing was rare, the law allowed for it in cases of young offenders.(dpa)