Forget sleeping pills, valerian root or a nice cup of cocoa. Apparently, if you’re a Malaysian man trying to get a good night’s sleep in Kuala Lumpur, the surest bet for a good nights sleep is not to look at a growing number of women who wear sexy clothes in public. Or so says Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, the spiritual leader of opposition Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party. The prominent Muslim cleric spoke up at the end of ’07 about how his fellow countrymen were suffering sleepless nights and could not pray properly.
The reason? Body-hugging dresses or tight T-shirts and jeans worn by young women in Malaysia’s major cities such as Kuala Lumpur.
Old News in New Trousers?
Kuala Lumpur might not be the first major Muslim city to attract such criticism from a devout Islamic figure, but having read that Malay Muslim women dress modestly for the most-part, I was intrigued by the argument, so I decided to investigate further. I’m certainly not pointing any fingers nor accusing anyone of rights or wrongs, but for a woman who’s always had the right to dress any way she chooses, I am fascinated by the debate and by its spokesman.
Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat’s devoutly Islamic party has around 800,000 members. He is also the chief minister of Kelantan, Malaysia’s only state that is not ruled by the moderate National Front governing coalition.
In an article on its website, the PMI Party condemned the “emotional abuse” that Malaysian men face because the issue of losing sleep and distracted prayer due to female attire is not often discussed.
Tight Female Clothing = Emotional Abuse for Men?
“We always [hear about] the abuse of children and wives in households, which is easily perceived by the eye, but the emotional abuse of men cannot be seen,” Nik Abdul Aziz told the Associated Press. “Our prayers become unfocused and our sleep is often disturbed.”
The party also published an illustration on the web of how women in Kuala Lumpa and other parts of Malaysia should dress — in long, flowing headscarves covering their hair and torsos and “baggy and loose” long-sleeved, floor-length dresses.
What Do Malaysian Women Say?
The tight clothing = insomnia issue is not the first issue that has made Nik Abdul Aziz unpopular with women’s groups in and around Kuala Lumpur.
In Kelantan, Nik Abdul Aziz’ party has been known to fine Muslim women for not wearing hijabs in workplaces and implemented separate check-out lines for men and women in supermarkets.
His unwavering support of Islamic shariah law for all Malay Muslims has attracted controversy and criticism, as did his suggestion that women would be at a lower risk of sexual assault if they abandoned their lipstick and perfume (and for his famous 15-year ban on the game of snooker.)
Women’s groups have slammed his statements, saying Islam teaches both men and women to be responsible for modesty.
In Kuala Lumpur and other major Malaysian cities, the debate, the outrage, the tight clothing, and the insomnia… continue. Sweet dreams, dear readers…