Women, Family and Community Development Minister Senator Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil expressed shock over the unprecedented sentence.

"I am extremely shocked and feel very strongly about this new development. Though it is wrong in Syariah to consume alcohol, the punishment must be fair and just," she said, adding her ministry is following the case ery closely.

"What is wrong is wrong but the implementation of the Syariah must be fair and just to everyone, including women," she said, adding in civil law there is no provision for women to be caned.

As much as she wants to express her feelings, Sharizat said, being a former officer of the court she has to restrain herself as the case has gone up for appeal.

Echoing a similar opinion, the Member of Parliament for Titiwangsa, Dr Lo'Lo Datuk Mohd Ghazali, noted that she was surprised that caning or whipping of women was sanctioned under the Syariah law in Malaysia.

"The punishment must be more educational rather than causing hurt to a woman to make her reform," she said, adding the whipping sentence was very harsh.

It's the first time she is hearing about a whipping punishment. "So far nobody, not even a male, has been whipped under the Syariah in Malaysia," said the Pas Women wing head, who last month came to the defence of Sisters in Islam after PAS announced that it wanted the National Fatwa Council to ban the non-governmental organisation.

"I do not know how the whipping punishment is going to be carried out on women. Is it going to be symbolic or real whipping," she said.

Whipping is a norm in many Islamic States. Last month in Bangladesh a widow was whipped 202 times and a man 101 times following a fatwa by a religious leader for their alleged involvement in "anti-social activity" in a village in south eastern Bangladesh, prompting local protests and action by the police.

Piara Begum, a widow of 40, and Mamun Miah, 25, were whipped before hundreds of people at Khaiyar in Comilla district. The woman fell unconscious and was rushed to hospital and was admitted for intensive treatment.

On Monday in Kuantan, Syariah judge Datuk Abdul Rahman Yunus fined the model RM5,000 and imposed six whippings after she pleaded guilty to consuming an alcoholic drink in public last year. In making his ruling, judge Abdul Rahman said that if Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarnor, from Sungai Siput, Perak failed to pay the fine of
RM5,000, she would be imprisoned for three years.

Kartika was accused of consuming a beer at Cherating Bay Lounge, the Legend Hotel in Cherating at about
11.40pm on July 11 last year.

She was charged under Section 136 of the Pahang Administration of the Islam Law and Malay Custom Enactment. The accused, who cried when the judgement was delivered,  said she would file an appeal
through her counsel, Mohd Zuki Che Mat Ghani. Syariah deputy public prosecutor Saiful Idham Sahimi appeared for the prosecution.