Malaysian Attire for Muslim Athletes

"I want women here to become torch-bearers for Muslim women globally," said Abdul Aziz

"The sports attire will be an alternative to the ones worn by Muslim athletes presently," State Women, Youth and Sports Committee chairman Abdul Patah Mahmood was quoted as saying by the Bernama news agency.

Abdul Patah said the outfits will encourage more Muslim women to take part in sports.

"We will submit a proposal on it to the Youth and Sports Ministry and if it gives the green light, we will show the design," he said.

Malaysia offers the image of a ideal Muslim country, heading towards the status of developed nation with huge buildings, beautiful cities and a fast track economy.

Muslim Malays comprise about 60 percent of Malaysia’s 26 million people.

Ethnic Chinese and Indians - most of them Buddhists, Hindus and Christians - make up about 35 percent. The rest are indigenous people and Eurasians.

Torch-bearer

Kelantan's chief minister Nik Abdul Aziz said Islam encourages women to practice sports.

"As long as navels are not exposed and they are clad in decent Islamic attire, there is no issue," he said.

Islam encourages women to ractice sport under certain rules to preserve their dignity and honor, safeguard them against immoralities and indecency and preserve their chastity while preserving their right in practicing sports.

"I want women here to become torch-bearers for Muslim women globally," said Abdul Aziz.

"If Kelantanese women can qualify for the Olympics, why not? We should encourage it. However, if they are Muslims, they must don the proper attire," he said.

Kelantan is currently hosting the first Malaysian All-Women Games, which saw participation from some 1,200 women athletes.

Men were only allowed to attend the opening ceremony.

Abdul Aziz said the Games showed that women were not sidelined in the conservative state.

Proving that hijab was no obstacle to excellence, a young Bahraini sprinter made history for Muslim women athletes after winning a well-deserved gold medal at the Asian Games on Monday, December 11.

Last year, Kelantan banned women wearing sexy outfit and has introduced fines for those working in shops and restaurants who dress "indecently".

Kelentan is the only Malaysian state ruled by the Pan-Malaysia Islamic Party (PAS) after its humiliating defeat in the 2004 general elections.

Since then, the party has been trying to polish its image and gain support among Malaysia's ethnic Chinese and Indian communities.

PAS has lifted a 15-year ban on the popular games of snooker and billiards and allowed cinemas to operate, although with the lights on to prevent any unseemly behavior.

The party has also launched a campaign to reason with prostitutes throughout the country to seek another source of living.