Tuesday February 20, 2007

State turns to ‘Mat Skoding’

KUALA TERENGGANU: To avert soaring cases of close proximity and vice here, the Terengganu Government has initiated an ingenious plan where “Mat Skoding” or spies will be recruited to tip-off the state religious department of immoral activities.

“Mat Skoding” will be part of the voluntary squad, under the guidance of state religious advisors, acting as vigilantes here.

State Islam Hadhari and Welfare Committee chairman Datuk Rosol Wahid said: “Some of these ‘spies’ could be waitresses or even janitors at hotels acting as auxiliary undercover agents for our religious department.”

The “Mat Skoding” would be rewarded for their tip-offs, he told The Star here yesterday.

Rosol said the trained “spies” would be on the lookout for unmarried couples behaving suspiciously or for vice activities throughout the state.

“Accurate details are required for the enforcement officers to act, otherwise they would be pouncing on married couples,” he said.

Rosol said the “spies” would keep surveillance at parks and secluded areas to nab dating couples intending to engage in sex.

In addition, Rosol said the state government had approved the recruitment of 20 more anti-vice enforcement officers under the State Religious Department this year.

On rampant rape cases reported here, Rosol said most of cases reported were actually those involving consensual sex.

“Sometimes one party decides to 'fix' the partner over a misunderstanding or for reneging on a promise,” he said.

Rosol said parents were also to be blamed, especially for the upsurge in statutory rape cases.

“These parents will allow their daughters to roam freely and later when she is pregnant, they rush to the police station to lodge a report,” he said.

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