PAS’ obsession with eye-popping outfits

The Kota Baru Municipal Council in PAS-ruled Kelantan yesterday showed a red-card to ‘indecent dressing’ by women.

This prohibition involves:

1. All retail outlet and restaurant working women - Muslims and non-Muslims.
2. A fine up to RM500 for offenders.

KBMC’s reasoning for the ban:

1. Revealing outfits smears the reputation of Kota Baru and affects its status as an Islamic City.
2. Mounting complaints from the public.

According to the Star, KBMC had received complaints from ratepayers that certain shop assistants and waitresses here donned sexy outfits, supposedly to woo more male customers.

A trader is quoted as saying:

“Almost everywhere there are retail assistants or waitresses wearing sexy clothes...This is an insult to Islam.”

Obviously such a strict ruling will not find favours with everyone.

Women’s movement proponent Ivy Josiah asked sarcastically:

“I would like to know what is the (acceptable) level of tightness of a pair of pants or jeans, and what happens to those of us who have larger buttocks?".

DAP secretary general Lim Guan Eng had this to say:

“Such self-inflicted wounds are politically and economically foolish as these will drive away moderate voters as well as foreign investment.” (read malaysiakini report here)

How true! Just when you thought PAS was opening up by portraying a moderate stand and wooing the non-Muslim voters to be mainstream.

Read stories on the ‘sexy dress ban’ here (Reuters), here (AP) and here (the Star).

p/s: graphics taken from the star, with thanks!