(Un)Popular Opinion | Just when we thought Malaysians had finally decided it was time to focus their energy on something constructive and beneficial, one guy who couldn’t keep it in his pants had to ruin everything.
In a now viral Facebook post, a young woman shared a story of how she was labelled a “prostitute” by a friend over a sleeveless top she wore in a photo. The reason? He felt that she was deviating from the proper way of dressing she used to practice and claimed that he wanted the best for her as she was placing herself in imminent danger with her scanty clothing.
ow is it that we, as a self-proclaimed “enlightened and progressive” society, are still stuck in this kind of medieval mentality?
Slut shaming, unfortunately, isn’t something new in modern society. To quote Soraya Chemaly’s definition of the term, it is “embarrassing, insulting or otherwise denigrating a girl or woman for her real or extrapolated sexual behavior, including for dressing in a sexual way, having sexual feelings and/or exploring and exhibiting them.”
When mixed with religion, slut shaming takes on a form that’s more toxic and dangerous. And Malaysia is of no exception to this rule. You don’t have to read the news to be aware of this phenomenon; you’ve probably heard stories from friends who told you how they or friends of theirs were called “immoral” for not dressing appropriately according to their religion’s standards. Some have even reportedly faced physical attacks too.
I personally am not a fan of wearing revealing clothes due to my upbringing. Heck, I don’t even dare to wear clothing which shows more than half of my neck because it makes me uncomfortable. However, my wardrobe choices are not dictated by my religion or personal beliefs; rather, it’s a matter of personal preferences. Thus, who am I to impose my standards on someone who wants to dress differently? If this logic doesn’t fly with a sensible person, neither does it for anyone.
It’s about high time we stop shaming and policing people over trivial matters such as clothing, and instead focus on things that are tearing this country apart such as corruption, incompetence, and racial polarisation.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and does not purport to reflect the opinions or views of WeirdKaya.
Cover images from Freepik
Editor: Raymond Chen
