The Star newspaper quoted Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as saying the
plan by officials in the conservative northern state of Terengganu to plant
spies as hotel janitors or waiters to tip off the Islamic Department about
improper activities would be an unacceptable invasion of privacy.
"I say there is no need for this," it quoted Abdullah as saying.
He said religious officials should stop trying to police Muslims' morals, and
should work on programs to instill Islamic values in their communities, the
newspaper said.
"We can take action against those who are involved in vice activities in public
places, but there is no need for us to snoop, as that will infringe on people's
right to privacy," the newspaper said Abdullah told Malaysian reporters
Thursday during a visit to Indonesia.
Abdullah's aides were not immediately available for comment.
The spies would mainly watch for unmarried couples committing "khalwat," or
"close proximity" - meaning non-chaperoned meetings between women and men. It
is a crime under Malaysia's Islamic law, a separate system which does not apply
to the Southeast Asian nation's substantial non-Muslim minorities.
Muslims found guilty of khalwat can be jailed for up to two months, the AP
said.
Rosol Wahid, chairman of Terengganu's Islamic welfare committee, which proposed
the spies, was quoted in Friday's New Straits Times newspaper as saying that
their presence would "act as a deterrent" against immoral activities.
"We are not in the business of putting couples or their families to shame,"
Rosol said. "We are helping families and society."
However, he added that "we have more serious matters to attend to than focus on
khalwat."
At least two other states' religious officials have suggested setting up
similar squads in recent years. The government scuttled the plans, citing
concerns over invasion of privacy.
