TREATED like a football.

That's how part-time model and Singapore resident Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno described her situation.

Kartika was sentenced to six strokes of the cane by the Pahang syariah high court in July for drinking beer in Cherating two years ago.

And what followed was a tale of twists and turns.

Initially, Kartika said she would appeal the unusually harsh sentence which would made her the first woman to be caned in the region.

But as news of her sentence spread worldwide, she said she changed her mind and dropped the appeal.

Breaking down in tears, she said then: 'I truly respect the court's decision... I admit that it's my offence and not that of others'.

'It's not the offence of my parents, nor the offence of my other family members.'

Kartika, who has been living in Singapore for the last 15 years after marrying a Singaporean, also said she wanted youngsters to learn from her mistake.

Malaysian women's groups and some politicians started criticising the sentencing, which widely reported in the Malaysian and international media.

Then came another twist.

Last week, Kartika, a mother of two, said she wanted to be caned in public.

She said: 'I think the punishment is fair, but it should be done in public for everyone to see so that people will learn. Let's be transparent.'

She added: 'I accept the punishment. I am not afraid because I was ready to be punished from day one.

'They (the authorities) hope to use my case as a way to educate the Muslims. So go ahead. I want to move on with my life.'

In the meantime, opposition against the caning had grown stronger.

And this provided fuel for more twists and turns.

On Monday, Islamic officials took Kartika into custody and were driving her to a women's prison for the caning when they abruptly turned around and sent her back to her family home in northern Malaysia.

Authorities then said the caning had been postponed till after the current Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

This did not go down well with the family.

'She feels like a football being kicked around,' Kartika's father, Mr Shukarno Abdul Muttalib, told The Associated Press.

'She's so exhausted and unhappy with the delay. She would prefer to just receive the six strokes and have everything finished.'

Then yesterday, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, in his first comments about the case, urged Kartika to appeal, reported AFP.

'I believe the authorities concerned are sensitive on this matter and realise the implications of this case,' he told a press conference.

'I feel the person concerned should appeal to the state authorities and not be so willing to accept the punishment,' he said.

However, Kartika refused.

She said: 'I won't file any appeal. Carry on and cane me, don't waste my time.

'This is very strange, why are they doing this to me? Even when they decided they wanted to punish me after Ramadan, I only learnt about it through the television news.'

Then came the final twist in the tale - for now.

Caning on hold

Yesterday the syariah court in Malaysia put the caning on hold indefinitely.

The chief judge of Pahang state's syariah court decided to defer the caning pending a review, as it was deemed too extreme, said Women, Family and Community Development Minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil.

She said: 'I am impressed with, and commend, the chief judge's wisdom for making the order of revision.

'I am relieved that the (syariah) chief judge has ordered the whipping to be deferred pending a revision.'

Ms Shahrizat added that the sentence projected a 'cruel image' of Malaysia.

But she denied that the call for Kartika to appeal - and the judiciary's indefinite postponement of the punishment - was an attempt by the government to save face in response to international concern.

She said the government wanted to ensure that the spirit of the Islamic legal system was implemented properly.

Kartika's sister, Ratna, said the family does not want to comment on the latest developments until the muddied waters are cleared.

'Kartika will not comment now. We are waiting for a letter to see what the Pahang (syariah judge) has to say about this,' she told the Associated Press.

>> Photos: Ordeal of Muslim model who drank beer

This article was first published in The New Paper.