Article 8 of the Federal Constitution and the proposed travel curbs for Malaysian women.

The Foreign Ministry's proposal that all women traveling out of the country alone be required to have letters from parents or employers is the most demeaning proposal. Such a proposal violates Article 8 of the Federal Constitution which entrenched provision, guarantees equal rights to every citizen without gender discrimination.

The report (in NST, May 4 3008) does not say who are the women required to produce consent letters for going out of the country. Is the reference to "women" single women, single mothers and what is the age criteria?

It is said that this requirement is necessary to protect our women from being duped into drug-related offences in foreign countries, resulting in them being imprisoned.

Instead of imposing the conditions inconsistent with the constitutional provisions and human rights principles, the Ministry should involve itself with the help of the Ministry of Education to educate every citizen of the dangers resulting in association with drugs, and the laws of our country and other countries and the repercussions that follow in the event of breaching them.

Therefore, the Foreign Ministry's proposal is a violation of the women's rights as citizens of this country, and it sounds as though male chauvinism ought to be respected.

K Siladass