MB: Sexy dress a cause of crime

BY SYED AZHAR AND WANI MUTHIAH

KOTA BARU: Kelantan Mentri Besar Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat has accused women who wear revealing clothes of giving the impression that they are selling their bodies. 

“Women who wear such clothes are contributing to the rise in sex crimes and that is why I am in favour of any move to curb such dressing,” he told reporters after launching the Kelantan Reading Festival 2005 here yesterday. 

Nik Aziz said he was in favour of a dress code for non-Muslims as it would help to reduce sex crimes.  

He was asked to comment on the proposal by the council here to introduce a dress code for non-Muslims working in supermarkets. The mentri besar said talk about the dress code started 10 years ago.  

His comments drew flak from various quarters. 

Wanita MCA chief Datuk Dr Ng Yen Yen said Nik Aziz's comments showed that he was totally divorced from reality and his statements showed his ignorance of gender issues. 

“I have come to a stage where I have given up (commenting) on what Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz says. Doesn’t he realise 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. Wanita MCA is concerned that he is taking his guidelines into non-Muslim areas and it is not up to the state to dictate dress codes.” 

Kelantan MCA chief Datuk Dr Fong Chan Onn said the party would protest if the dress code was enforced. 

“The move to compel non-Muslims to abide by the dress code is an oppression of their rights,” he added. 

Sisters in Islam and Women’s Aid Organisation volunteer Nabila Nasir said if the way women dressed made them victims of sexual crimes, then women in baju kurung and headscarves as well as girls in school uniforms would not be raped and killed.