No bare shoulders in Malaysia

No bare shoulders in Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters): Malaysia's women's affairs minister on Friday blasted the trend of harassing women for their clothing after a civil servant chased a woman with bare shoulders from her office, a local newspaper reported.

"There is no law in this country prohibiting sleeveless blouses. Such outfit is normal in our multi-racial and multi- cultural society," said Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, according to the afternoon Malay Mail paper.

Women wear a range of styles in multicultural Malaysia. Many Muslim Malays cover their heads and sport a traditional outfit with long sleeves and ankle-length skirt while Chinese and Indian women often wear the latest, western fashions.

But recent electoral successes by a traditional Islamic party is putting more pressure on Muslim women to conform and most government offices are dominated by Malay Muslims.

Shahrizat, a Muslim known for her fashionable outfits, said the department should drop its "sanctimonious and holier-than- thou attitude."