Indonesian Government to Review Proposed Ban

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com

A ban on women passengers straddling a motorcycle – proposed by the mayor of Lhokseumawe in the Indonesian province of Aceh on the northern tip of Sumatra island – will be reviewed by the government of Indonesia, “The Jakarta Globe” reports in a story today. Home Affairs minister Gamawan Fauzi said the government needs to know the reasoning behind the regulation.

The central government could annul the local ban. Mayor Suaidi Yahya wants to impose the regulation, which would require women passengers to ride side-saddle, because he had seen people’s behavior and morals straying too far from Aceh’s Islamic cultural values. “We want to save women from things that will cause them to violate Shariah law,” he said. “We wish to honor women with this ban, because they are delicate creatures.”

The government review could take up to one month.

In response to an email inquiry from RIDE-CT.com following a post last Thursday on the proposed ban, the news desk at “The Jakarta Globe” responded Sunday night that women in Indonesia “are allowed to ride solo but only on small cc motorcycles which does not necessitate straddling but just sitting normally.”

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