Take this prime fool Rais Yatim, for instance, who has suggested requiring letters from women travelling on their own:
KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) — Malaysian women travelling abroad on their own may need letters from their parents or employers in a bid to stop them becoming "mules" for international drug syndicates, reports said Sunday.
The proposal comes as 119 Malaysians, 90 per cent of whom are women, have been imprisoned worldwide on drug-related charges with the majority believed to have been duped into transporting drugs, the New Sunday Times reported.
Duped? Somehow I don't think so. You've gotta be a special kind of stupid not to suspect that favour you're doing has a scent of 'illegality' to it.
And when in doubt, refuse.
"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 paper.
"Many of these women (who travel alone) leave the country on the pretext of work or attending courses and seminars," he added.
"With this declaration, we will know for sure where and for what she is travelling overseas."
Oh yeah! And while you're at it, strap a chastity belt on her for good measure..
Malaysians have become prime targets for syndicates wanting to smuggle drugs into the European Union, the paper said, because they do not require visas for short stays of up to 90 days or to transit in those countries.
It said the offences were also committed in various other nations including China, Singapore, India, Spain and Portugal.
Let me tell you something.
I just came back from Spain after a long business trip. I don't appreciate having to carry a letter from my employer stating why exactly I have packed my bags and am clutching on to an air-ticket.
Most of us Malaysian women are smart enough to handle ourselves properly when abroad and not get into trouble.
Unfortunately, we have our dumb sisters who don't use all their grey matter. But I don't see why we should be punished for their actions.
Besides, like many women's groups have already protested, letters like that can be easily forged.
2 comments:
welcome back!
on this issue, i think the government fails to see WHY are people getting duped to do all this. if you read the circumstances why ANYBODY resorts to carrying suitcases abroad is because of money. their main grouse is not having enough to feed their families or are having difficulties in trying to make a decent living and are forced to take up such dangerous tasks because it's 'easy'.
i doubt it is because they are stupid or because their families but forbid them from doing it. seriously, i bet some families are so desperate, it makes one even more determined to deliver the package.
so government doesn't get it and i don't get how the government works. argh! this nation is clueless as to where it is heading!
:P
LOL, thanks tikus. What is freaky is that I was reading about Yogitree on your blog while you were posting a comment on my blog!!
I have seen a lot of women denying knowledge about what they were doing (smuggling drugs) and I'm almost convinced they weren't informed it was drugs.
It happens all the time, other women or benign looking men come up and ask for favours to "hold on to that bag because I've exceeded the weight limit" or "help me with this, there's a dear".
At the back of their mind, I'm sure they smell a rat, but because they're offered cash rewards, they think, "what the heck?".
And then of course they get caught and it all spirals down from there. I once watched 'Bangkok Hilton' starring Nicole Kidman and vowed I'd never get myself in that situation ever.
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