The Syariah High Court's unprecedented decision to ban the media from reporting a khalwat (close proximity) case involving the wife of former deputy prime minister Ghafar Baba has elicited mixed reactions.

Non-governmental organisation Sisters-in-Islam (SIS) said the media should be "more careful" in reporting khalwat cases since there is always the possibility of "overzealous" enforcement.

"We are concerned over the possibility of overzealous enforcement of the law. These situations could be aggravated by wide coverage (in the press).

"We are concerned with all cases and not only this case," said SIS research manager Nik Noriani Nik Badli Shah when contacted today.

However, she said details of this particular case should also be made clear since it differed from others in that it involved more than one couple.

"The usual understanding of the definition of khalwat is that it involves one man and one woman. In this case, they are students and there are four of them.

"What is the definition of khalwat then? We are curious why they were arrested," she said.

On Monday, syariah judge Abu Bakar Ahmad allowed an application to stop the media from reporting details of the charges and proceedings of the case concerning D Heryati Abdul Rahim, 41, and three Bosnian students from the International Islamic University students in Kuala Lumpur on the grounds that it was a "high-profile case involving a personality".

The defendants had pleaded guilty during the hearing and were released with a "stern warning" from the court. The three Bosnian students are Admir Melinovic, 23, Izudin Mulalic, 27, and Mirza Trako, 25.