MALAYSIAN ACTIVISTS QUESTION ROLE OF MUSLIM FASHION POLICE?

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia  – Women in Malaysia, long seen as a moderate Islamic nation, have been denied entry to government buildings on the grounds their skirts were too revealing, fanning fears of growing conservatism in a country with large non-Muslim minorities.

Prime Minister Najib Razak’s reluctance to intervene on the sudden enforcement of a dress code, analysts say, shows the liberal-minded leader is unwilling to stand up to conservatives at a time when he is battling allegations of corruption.

Ethnic sensitivities can often trigger dispute in Malaysia, particularly as none of those criticized for their clothes was from the Muslim Malay community that forms two-thirds of a population of about 30 million. Ethnic Chinese number 25 percent, and Indians about 7 percent.

The dress code, which bars revealing clothes for women in government buildings, had not been strictly followed.

• So the tougher enforcement  over garments seen  as  showing too much leg came as a shock to many Malaysians.
• The incidents went viral on social media, with activists saying they highlighted an expansion of powers for minor officials, who can now judge, and correct, women’s attire.

Source: Reuters...More...