Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Women in Malaysia
Malaysian women take part in all aspects of society, from politics and big business to aca-
demia and the judicial system; in 2010 Malaysia appointed its first two female Islamic-
court judges. However, women in all communities, particularly those with conservative re-
ligious values, face restrictions on their behaviour despite the general openness of Malaysi-
an society. Arranged marriage is common among Muslim and Hindu families, and the
concept of 'honour' is still a powerful force in internal family politics.
Although the wearing of the
tudong
(headscarf) is encouraged, Muslim women are per-
mitted to work, drive and go out unchaperoned, though the religious authorities frequently
crack down on
khalwat
(close proximity, ie couples who get too intimate in public), which
is considered immoral. Full
purdah
(the practice of screening women from men or
strangers by means of all-enveloping clothes) is rare - if you do see this it's likely to be
worn by women visiting from the Persian Gulf.
Recent changes to Islamic family law have made it easier for men to marry and divorce
multiple wives and claim a share of their property. Muslim parties are also campaigning to
remove the crime of marital rape from the statute books and bring in new laws requiring
four male witnesses before a rape case can come to trial. In response to these moves, Mar-
ina Mahathir, the daughter of the former prime minister, compared the lot of Malaysia's
Muslim women to that of blacks under apartheid in South Africa.
