Shahrizat: Dress code is disrespectful and undermines women's capabilities
Update from The Star NewsdeskKUALA LUMPUR: The latest dress code ruling in Kelantan is disrespectful and undermines women's capabilities.
Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil said she is appalled at the no sexy clothes ruling in Kelantan.
The state government, she said, should instead focus on how it can help the development of women instead of concentrating on flimsy issues such as dress codes.
"Why are they focusing on dressing issues when they should be thinking about how they can help women in Kelantan excel and develop fur ther, both in education and entrepreneurship?" she told The Star at the Parliament lobby Tuesday in commenting on its front-page report.
The Kota Baru Municipal Council had warned that both Muslim and non-Muslim women working in retail out lets and restaurants in Kelantan should take note of their dress ing or risk being fined.
The council said it would be conducting spot checks and women who flouted its guidelines could be fined up to RM500, Several women's organisations reacted with outrage.
Shahrizat said creating such a ruling will in the end back-fire on the Kelantan government.
"In the end, Kelantanese women will object to it," she warned.
"It is so disrespectful to the women there. The ruling makes it seem like women cannot decide for themselves what they should or should not wear and need the government to help them decide.
"It just goes to show what kind of government they are."
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Dress Code Dispute in Malaysia
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, March 11--Malaysia's federal government has criticized Kelantan state's hardline Islamic administration for proposing a strict dress code for non-Muslim women, AFP reported.
The dress code, put forward by the municipal council of Kota Baru, the capital of the state--one of only 13 in Malaysia ruled by the opposition Islamic Party--would force non-Muslim women to don long skirts and loose, long-sleeved blouses.
The proposal came earlier this week after complaints over skimpily-dressed promotion women working in supermarkets.
The Islamic Party's spiritual leader Nik Aziz Nik Mat, who is also Kelantan's chief minister, said the dress code would help reduce sex crimes in the state.
But Culture, Arts and Heritage Minister Rais Yatim said the proposal was "outrageous" and would violate the rights of non-Muslim women, according to the New Straits Times. The Kelantan government can dictate the dress code of civil servants under its jurisdiction but has no right to tell others what to wear, he said.
It has also come under fire from non-Muslim and women groups.
The Malaysian Chinese Association, a key pillar in the ruling coalition, slammed the Islamic Party for being out of touch with reality.
"Doesn't he (Nik Aziz) realize that most sex crime victims are fully dressed from head to toe and some of them are children? Someone with that kind of mindset on gender issues is an obstacle to the progress of women," said the association's women's wing chief Ng Yen Yen.
Muslim Malays make up some 55 percent of Malaysia's 25 million population, with Chinese accounting for 25 percent and Indians 7.5 percent.
It was thumped by the ruling coalition in last year's general elections, in which it lost power in neighboring state of Terengganu but kept its hold on Kelantan with a slim majority.
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