Kartika Sari

Malaysia beer-drinking model escapes caning: father
A Malaysian Muslim model who faced a caning for drinking beer in a case that caused outrage among rights groups, has had her sentence reduced to community service, her father said Thursday.

Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno, 33, was sentenced last year under Islamic law to six lashes and a fine by a religious court in the moderate Muslim-majority country in a case that grabbed headlines around the world.

Kartika's father Shukarno Mutalib said however that the ruler of the central state of Pahang, where Kartika was caught drinking, had now decided to commute the sentence, according to a letter received by the family this week.

"The sultan has decided that the caning sentence will be substituted with a three-week community service at a children's