Curbs on Malaysian women travelling
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Malaysian women travelling abroad on their own may soon need letters from their parents or employers in a bid to stop them becoming ‘mules’ for international drug syndicates, AFP reported.
The proposal comes as 119 Malaysians, 90% women, have been imprisoned worldwide on drug-related charges, with the majority believed to have been duped into transporting drugs, AFP quoted a New Sunday Times report.
“I have submitted this proposal to the Cabinet, and both the Foreign and Home ministries feel this is necessary,” Foreign Minister Rais Yatim told the newspaper.
He was quoted saying that many Malaysian women who travelled alone did so “on the pretext of work or attending courses and seminars”.
According to the report, Malaysians had become prime targets for syndicates wanting to smuggle drugs into the European Union because they did not require visas for short stays of up to 90days, or to transit in those countries.
The report quoted women’s groups criticising the move.
“This is an infringement of our rights,” National Council for Women’s Organisations Malaysia deputy president Faridah Khalid was quoted telling the newspaper.
“We are the victims, and now you are creating more problems. Why must you put more restrictions on women?”
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