The Philadelphia Inquirer, May 24, 1992:

Malaysian officials are considering a plan to introduce strict Islamic laws.

And they mean strict.

Get caught stealing and they'll lop off a hand. And that has local doctors wondering: If a punished thief comes strolling into their office hand in hand, will they be allowed to sew it back on? The government is willing to discuss the problem with the medical association. But Abdul Hadi Awang, deputy president of the fundamentalist Islamic party, has strong ideas.

He says the purpose of chopping off hands of incorrigible thieves is to shame them and deter crime. "If doctors and surgeons start reattaching the hands, the whole purpose is defeated," he said.

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