Malaysian state to spy on lovers

The Malaysian state of Terengganu is to recruit a network of spies to keep an eye on local Muslims.

The spies will tip off Islamic morality officers if they spot couples engaged in illicit kissing, cuddling or other untoward activities.

The public has been assured that the spies will only be allowed to snoop, and not peep.

The state hopes to recruit workers in public places to watch for unmarried couples behaving suspiciously.

The head of Terengganu's Islam and Welfare Committee, Rosol Wahid, said the spies would tip off religious morality patrols if they saw Muslims on dates in secluded areas and believed they were intending to have sex.

He later assured people that his agents would not be peeping toms hiding behind trees and that they would not be issued with binoculars.

Mr Rosol seems to have been spurred by his belief that most of the rapes reported in the state are in fact instances of consensual sex.

He says parents complain to the police when they later discover that their daughters are pregnant.