Women Only Please!

Here's a news article from The Star.

Fashion show only for women

BY IAN MCINTYRE

KOTA BARU: You can have your fashion show but no husbands please – that’s the order from the PAS government of Kelantan to the womenfolk.

“There is no need for husbands to be present at the show. The wives can just tell them what they want to buy,” said state executive councillor Takiyuddin Hassan yesterday.

The fashion show is part of the programme to celebrate the declaration of the state capital as an Islamic City on Oct 1.

Entertainment that day will be alternative – not to be mistaken for “alternative music” though.

Alternative here means “in accordance with religious guidelines,” said Takiyuddin, such as separating the men and women in the audience.

“PAS understands that there is a need for entertainment as a form of temporary escapism but it must be orderly and not lead to unhealthy activities or influences,” he added.

Akademi Fantasia 3 winner Mawi has been invited to perform that day but fellow performer, veteran rocker Ramli Sarip, may have to tone down his act.

I have no problem with a fashion show where only women are present. :-) I guess you won't find any male designer at the show either! They will just have to send their female representatives.

“There is no need for husbands to be present at the show. The wives can just tell them what they want to buy". Huh? Is Takiyuddin Hassan saying that these wives do not have any control over their purse strings? That they need their husbands to pay for the clothes they want to buy? Is he also saying that none of the women at the fashion show has a paying job where she can spend her money any way she wants?

As for singers, Mawi and Ramli Sarip, they can both please the PAS government officials by singing nasyid songs. They won't go wrong there! :-)

P.S. In truth, I find the first part of the news story amusing! This is happening in Malaysia, my country of origin! :-)