El sultanate of Terengganu, a major western state of Malaysia, just approved a new dress code that prohibits "daring" clothing, in an initiative that is aimed mainly at women and that will also apply to tourists. To take into account for those who plan to travel to this part of the country.
The new code was published on the state government news portal and will soon be made available to all Malaysian travel agencies and tourism offices, as well as neighboring countries such as Singapore, Indonesia and Thailand. It seems that the authorities intend to apply these new rules rigorously and foreign visitors are not going to be an exception. In fact, the website says that the guidelines are aimed at tourists (who are generally unaware of the traditional uses of Terengganu) and especially women.
It goes without saying that the sultanate's population is made up of a vast majority of Muslims. The new rule, which also contemplates the application of criminal provisionsIt seems not to consider the possibility that it will dissuade many tourists from visiting this state.
To soften the matter a bit, it has been published in the Malaysian press that men and women are not required to comply 100% with the Islamic dress code, although visitors and locals must dress decently. Those who do not will be called by the authorities. We will see how and how much this dress code affects tourism.