KUALA LUMPUR: A PAS lawmaker has proposed caning unmarried couples who commit illicit sex as punishment to reduce the number of out-of-wedlock pregnancies in the country.

Datuk Dr Nik Mazian Nik Mohamad (pic) (PAS-Pasir Puteh) mooted the idea during question and answer session in Parliament Wednesday regarding pre-teen pregnancies.

"Thank you for the comprehensive and long answer as it shows that the problem is a serious one where a lot of effort is being done to address it.

"However, what I don't see is the caning of those committing zina (unlawful sexual intercourse such as adultery, pre-marital sex and sodomy).

"Does this mean that it is time for it to be included under the proposed amendments to RUU355?," he asked.

Dr Nik Mazian also wanted to know what was being done to protect "innocent" babies born from such unlawful unions.

RUU355 is the Bahasa Malaysia abbreviation for PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang's Private Member's Bill to amend the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965 or Act 355.

Under the proposed amendments, state syariah courts will be empowered to impose a maximum punishment of up to 30 years' jail, RM100,000 fine and 100 lashes of the rotan for offences, such as zina (unlawful sexual intercourse), qazaf (accusation against one's chastity) and syurb (alcohol consumption).

Act 355 currently limits syariah sentences to a maximum of three years' jail, RM5,000 fine and six lashes.

In her reply, Deputy Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Azizah Mohd Dun said she was in no position to comment on Dr Nik Mazian's suggestion.

She assured him that unmarried pregnant teens would not be discriminated against if they seek help to give birth in government hospitals and clinics.

She said the families would be given the option to raise the baby or place the child in a foster home till 18.

Besides this, Azizah said private hospitals under the OpenCare programme also provide help to unwed pregnant teens.

She said that so far, 35 out-of-wedlock babies were delivered under the programme.

Earlier, Azizah told lawmakers the ministry will set up 16 more Kafe@Teen in 10 states nationwide.

At present, she said there are Kafe@TEEN centres in Keramat, Kuala Lumpur and Precinct 16, Putrajaya, to provide a safe haven for teens.

She also added the findings of Teen Reproductive and Sexual Health Protection Study and the Youth Intervention Study would be used to draft intervention programmes to address pre-teen pregnancies.

On Tuesday, PAS information chief Nasruddin Hassan Tantawi (PAS-Temerloh) blamed scanty dressing, provocative music and dancing, and music concerts where male and female patrons mingled freely as the chief causes of "rampant immoral behaviour" in the country.

Nasruddin lamented that such behaviour led to zina, which he blamed for 159,725 out-of-wedlock babies over the past several years.