Kuala Lumpur - Muslims caught eating in public in Malaysia's Kedah state during the Ramadan fasting month will have their names and addresses announced on public radio, an official said on Wednesday.
The move was the latest effort by the Kedah religious authority to deter recalcitrant Moslems from blatantly eating in public during daylight in the month of Ramadan, when all Muslims have to fast from sunrise to sunset.
Fadzil Hanafi, Kedah's Islamic committee chairperson, said previous penalties, such as fining the offenders in court or driving them around in a hearse, had failed to embarrass them.
He said several Muslims have been caught in the state for eating during fasting hours since Ramadan began 10 days ago.
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Driving offenders around in a hearse had failed to embarrass them Fadzil told the Malaysian national news agency, Bernama, that he would personally read out the names of the culprits over local radio.
According to Islamic teaching, all able Muslims are required during Ramadan to abstain from food, water, sex and vices such as smoking during daylight.
Slightly over half of Malaysia's 23 million people are Muslim Malay, and Islamic squads conduct daily checks to nab Muslims eating in public.
Offenders are fined 500 ringgit (about R1 000) for the first offence, with the fines increasing for subsequent offences. - Sapa-DPA
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