Malaysia halts whipping displays

Officials are worried about juvenile delinquency

Malaysia has suspended a programme of demonstrating punishment floggings to schoolchildren after it drew public criticism.

The deputy internal security minister, Chia Kwang Chye, said the government would decide whether to make changes to the programme or abandon it altogether.

The programme was introduced at schools last week with the aim of discouraging children from crime.

Flogging is widely used as a form of punishment in Malaysia.

But the school demonstrations drew strong criticism from the country's Human Rights Commission (Suhakam), which said the programme would appear to legitimise cruel, inhumane or degrading behaviour.

"We are prepared to hear all the views from various parties, including Suhakam," Mr Chia was quoted as saying by Malaysia's Bernama news agency.

In the last week, children have watched as prison guards beat effigies in front of them. They have also been shown pictures of flogging injuries.

Flogging can be used to punish more than 40 crimes in Malaysia, including under-age sex.

The government is considering introducing public flogging before execution as a punishment for child rape, after the rape and murder of two 10-year-old girls in the space of a week earlier this year.