KUALA LUMPUR - THE town council authorities in Kelantan's capital have forbidden Muslim women from wearing bright lipstick and noisy high-heeled shoes to work, saying the ban will enhance their dignity and prevent them from getting raped.

'Nowadays, the way women dress attracts unwanted attention. It could lead to all sorts of vice,' said Mr Azman Mohd Daham, public relations director of the city council in Kota Baru.

'We do not advocate tight clothes, too much lipstick or thick make-up, and even the headscarf should not be too transparent,' he said. 'Women should dress modestly, this is what Islam requires.'

The guidelines were issued to local businesses and shops last month, he said, but denied reports that anyone flouting the code faced a fine.

'If they want to follow what we advocate in the campaign, it is entirely their choice, but we hope they do because this is the best for them.

'We do not punish anyone for wearing thick make-up or high-heeled shoes, there are no fines either,' he said.

But he added that Muslim women did face a fine if they failed to cover their heads with a scarf.

Kelantan's Women Affairs Committee chairman Wan Ubaidah Wan Omar said that she supported the circular.

A woman leader of Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS), she said that wearing light make-up was allowed and wearing high heels placed undue pressure on the feet of the wearer.

Kelantan has been run by the Islamic party since 1990 and is the most conservative state in Malaysia.

The state's rulers have in the past made headlines with laws that require separate queues for men and women in shops, and for imposing fines on those who were skimpily dressed.

However, in recent years, the party has begun introducing reforms to tone down its hardline reputation and attract young voters.