Lullaby competition for Malaysian wives

Mr Nik Aziz is the spiritual leader of the Pan Malaysian Islamic Party

A controversial Malaysian minister has organised a lullaby competition - with the aim of promoting married life.

Nik Aziz Nik Mat, chief minister of the state of Kelantan, in the east of the country, has announced a competition for women to sing their husbands to sleep.

There may then be an additional competition of women lulling their children to sleep.

The BBC's correspondent in Malaysia, Jonathan Kent, said that not much more was yet known about the competition, as Mr Nik Aziz made the announcement at a pop concert.

"Malaysian politicians are wont to come up with ideas off the cuff and announce them in public," our correspondent explained.

"Sometimes they come to something, sometimes they don't."

Harmonious home

Our correspondent added that he believed the competition would prove to be a "tough one to judge."

"If the judges are sent off to sleep, presumably they won't be able to write down their scores."

He pointed out that places like Kelantan, which is predominantly rural, has its roots in a long-established traditional way of life.

Mr Nik Aziz says women will sing to their husbands first

As a result, most women spend much of their time with their families, while their husbands go off to work.

However, with Malaysia changing so rapidly and people leaving places like Kelantan and going to the cities, pressures are being put on this set-up.

Mr Nik Aziz, a highly conservative minister who has a history of making outspoken announcements regarding women, believes encouraging wives to sing to their husbands will produce a harmonious home.

"What Nik Aziz is looking at is ways of strengthening ties within the family," our correspondent added.

"He thinks that singing at home and treating one's spouse with love - and being intimate in this way - is a way of making sure the bonds stay strong between married people."

In 2003, Mr Nik Aziz declared that wearing a headscarf was not enough for women to avoid arousing men, and declared that putting on lipstick invited rape.

He has also said that if it were possible, he would ban television in his state, as he believes it is a "force for ill."