Malaysian city bans heavy make-up, noisy high-heels: Report 24 Jun, 2008, 1020 hrs IST, AGENCIES KUALA LUMPUR: A Malaysian city has banned Muslim women from wearing brightly coloured lipstick and noisy high-heeled shoes to work, the national news agency Bernama reported. City officials in Kota Bharu, the capital of conservative northern Kelantan state -- which is run by the Islamic party PAS -- distributed a circular to local firms last month to outline the dress code, Bernama said late Monday. The report said the circular stated that the directive, which targetted Muslim women working in food outlets and other business premises, was aimed at preventing incidents like rape and illicit sex. It ordered women not to wear thick make-up including bright lipstick, or high-heeled shoes "that gave a tapping sound," although rubber-soled heels were permitted. The directive said that the headscarf worn by many Muslim women in Malaysia should also cover the chest and not be made of transparent material, and that those who flouted the rules faced a fine of 500 ringgit (153 dollars). Kelantan, which has been run by PAS since 1990, is the most conservative state in Malaysia. The country's population is dominated by Muslim Malays, alongside large ethnic Chinese and Indian minorities. The state's rulers have in the past made headlines with laws that require separate queues for men and women in shops, and for imposing fines on skimpy clothing. However, in recent years the party has begun introducing reforms designed to tone down its hardline reputation and woo young voters. An official from the city's law enforcement department said there had been an "awareness campaign" encouraging Muslim women to conform to Islamic dress codes "with less make-up and more modesty, including wearing headscarves." She told AFP that she had not seen the circular reported both by Bernama and a television network, adding there were no laws forbidding women from wearing heavy make-up or noisy footwear. "It is a ridiculous piece of news," said the official, who declined to be identified.
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