Matter of conscience, not policing.

(From New Straits Times (Malaysia))

Byline: Zainah Anwar

WE all agree that having sex in public is indecent and should be punishable by law. I am sure our lawmakers had precisely this in mind when they drafted by-laws governing indecent behaviour in parks. But what about walking hand-in-hand? What about sitting together on a park bench; a peck on the cheek; a spontaneous hug? Are such acts indecent? Remember the three young women who, seeking fame and fortune in Kuala Lumpur, entered the Miss Petite Malaysia contest, only to be unceremoniously hauled off the stage for "indecent behaviour"? Remember the female pub singer who was charged with insulting Islam by being in a place that served alcohol? Never mind that the boys in the band were let off. Remember the case of the two schoolmates, a boy and a girl, who were caned 25 times for the "crime" of talking to each other in public? And, of course, we all remember the infamous raid on a fancy …