Goddess of the Essence of the Star ***

The local papers have been giving wide coverage for the story of Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno who has been sentenced to be whipped for drinking beer. Her news has gone international too.

Apparently Kartika Sari Dewi in Indonesian means the “goddess of the essence of the star”. She has been playing her cards right. Although she is actually a lowly hospital staff, she told the papers she was a part time model (in order not to jeopardise her job, she says. And we believe her).

The judge has passed judgment. But the authorities are wringing their hands.
“How to do it?”
“She is not in jail.”
“We’ll do it after the fasting month.”
They seem to be vacillating and procrastinating .

In the meantime Kartika was quite decided. “I want to be whipped.”

In Malaysia only the prison department and no one else may cane a prisoner. As Kartika wasn’t sentenced to jail, she is not a prisoner, thus she needn't go to prison. Therefore how is the authority going to cane her?
Some said: “Kartika should go to the Syariah High Court and file an appeal..”
But Kartika wouldn’t. She wanted to be caned.
Then somebody warned that the whipping, if carried out will be ultra vires and open the authorities to a legal suit. He advised: “Kartika can sue. This is because her detention, and subsequently the whipping, is illegal.”

Now we are also told that this caning will be using a miniature cane, and more of a symbolic tap than painful lashing.

So on the balance of it, Kartika is well advised to insist on being caned. And once it is over, she has two roads to the bank.

She could sue and make some money.

Or, and this is the lucrative one: she could become a world celebrity. The part time model could become a real Star. Book and movie deals would be on the horizon. For Kartika, that is turning out to be a lucky beer......