Malaysia plans women travel curbs
(From BBC News 11:57 GMT, Sunday, 4 May 2008 12:57 UK)
------> Most emailed on BBC news on the day (not surprisingly)
The proposal has been criticised as impractical and regressive. Women's groups in Malaysia have reacted angrily to proposed government restrictions on women travelling abroad on their own. State media say the plan would require women to obtain written consent from their families or employers. The Malaysian foreign minister said the move would prevent single women being used by gangs to smuggle drugs. The proposal follows a review of criminal cases where women had been jailed abroad.
------> How many women? How about our poor Malaysian men travelling abroad on their own?
Foreign Minister Rais Yatim said 90% of cases where Malaysian women had been jailed by foreign courts involved drugs. He told the New Sunday Times newspaper that a compulsory letter of consent to travel alone would enable women's families to make sure they were not being tricked by drug smuggling gangs. "Many of these women (who travel alone) leave the country on the pretext of work or attending courses and seminars," he said. "With this declaration, we will know for sure where and for what she is travelling overseas," he said.
------> What makes them think by having a permission letter, the trickery by drug smuggling gangs will end? The girls will still leave (with 'consent') on the same pretext.
Women's groups have expressed outrage at the plan. The National Council for Women's Organisations said it would infringe women's rights. Another group, Sisters in Islam, said the proposal was totally ridiculous and regressive, and assumed that women were less capable than men of making their own decisions. Campaigners have pointed out that letters of permission to travel would be very easy to forge. In recent years the influence of hardline Islamic groups has been increasing in Malaysia, but it is unclear whether this proposal has any religious motive.
------> I hope the campaigners are successful to block the legislation. No common sense. Wrong tool for the job.
p/s: Whilst Malaysian headline for silly legislation and supression rights, National University of Singapore break headlines with revolutionary science advancement - Spiders "talk" to potential mates using a type of light not visible to the human eye, scientists (Professor Daiqin Li) report.
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