KUALA LUMPUR: A former top cop and a senior criminologist are on opposing sides of the debate about whether convicted scammers should be caned.
The discussion follows Singapore passing a law on Tuesday that provides for up to 24 strokes of the rotan for those convicted of scamming.
Former inspector-general of police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain said scamming is not a petty crime because it destroys lives, livelihoods and families.
“Making caning mandatory, as Singapore has done, sends a clear message that this deceit will be met with firm and painful consequences,” Razarudin told the New Straits Times.
He said that while Malaysia has strengthened provisions in the Penal Code and the Communications and Multimedia Act to tackle cybercrime, penalties must also match the gravity and scale of the threat.
“Many scammers operate as part of transnational organised crime networks.
“The law must, therefore, not only punish them severely but also deter others from getting involved. Mandatory corporal punishment could be that deterrent,” he said.
He said Singapore’s move reflected its resolve to protect citizens from financial predators.
Malaysia, he said, should consider similar amendments to ensure offenders face tough penalties.
“We must show zero tolerance through enforcement and sentencing. It’s about justice for victims who often lose their life savings,” he said.
Senior criminologist Datuk Dr P. Sundramoorthy, however, questioned whether corporal punishment would solve the problem.
“Based on interviews with inmates, I found several cases in which prisoners who were caned reoffended and returned to prison after release.
“While frustration is understandable, resorting to corporal punishment represents a step backwards for justice and human rights in the region.”
He said corporal punishment had long been condemned by international human rights bodies.
“The United Nations Committee Against Torture and Amnesty International have categorised caning as cruel, inhuman and degrading.
“Malaysia’s Human Rights Commission and the Bar Council have repeatedly urged its abolition, describing the practice as archaic and incompatible with constitutional guarantees of humane treatment,” he said.
He said that while advocates claimed caning deterred crime, evidence suggested otherwise.
“In Malaysia, despite caning being applied to serious offences, such as drug trafficking, robbery, rape and immigration violations, recidivism remains high.
“Criminological research shows that this behaviour is often driven by poverty, addiction or desperation — factors that physical punishment cannot address.
“Fear may momentarily suppress crime, but it rarely reforms offenders. In many cases, it breeds resentment and defiance, not rehabilitation.”
Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Mohd Khalid Ismail had said that 52,000 commercial crime cases had been reported nationwide up to September — an 81.6 per cent increase over the same period last year.
He said online scams accounted for 80 per cent of these cases, involving RM2 billion in losses, or a 94 per cent year-on-year jump.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
