In Pahang, Muslim women in ‘too short’, ‘too tight’ dresses can go to jail

Jaip’s head of investigation says Muslim women should avoid wearing dresses that are ‘too short or tight’ during Ramadan, claiming that checks at a few Ramadan bazaars have shown many Muslim women dressed ‘inappropriately’.― File picKUALA LUMPUR, June 24 ― Muslim women must dress “decently” during Ramadan or risk being jailed a year or fined up to RM2,000, Pahang’s Islamic Religious Department (Jaip) has said.

Local daily New Straits Times reported today Jaip head of investigation Mohd Anis Azmi saying that Muslim women should avoid wearing dresses that are “too short or tight” during the fasting month, claiming that checks at a few Ramadan bazaars have shown many Muslim women dressed “inappropriately”.

“They should refrain from wearing revealing dresses in respect of the holy month,” Anis was quoted saying.

“This is a warning for the public before we start our operations against the offenders soon. Jaip cannot set a benchmark on what is decent attire, as what is decent to me may not be considered so to others.

We also cannot be telling them what they should wear, but a rule of thumb is to dress decently even if you are only out to buy food in a Ramadan bazaar,” he added.

Anis, however, said that those found to dress what the religious authority deemed as improper would be counselled, while repeat offenders could face imprisonment or a fine.

The Road Transport Department, the Selangor state secretariat, and even the Sungai Buloh public hospital recently sparked public outrage after the public institutions forced several women to wear a sarong, or even a towel, over their outfits that were considered indecent, with observers noting that such dress code rows showed a trend of increasing religious conservatism in Malaysia. 

- themalaymailonline