Fadli, Batam – Police in Batam, Riau Islands province, began trawling the city's malls Thursday looking for women wearing revealing clothes. However, police insist they are not out to punish the women, but to protect them from sex-related crimes.

Policewomen deployed as part of the campaign have stopped women in at least five shopping centers in the city and warned them against dressing provocatively.

Adj. Comr. Dewantoro of the Batam Police said Saturday the operation was launched as a way to deal with a rise in crimes against women. "This is part of our efforts to reduce crimes against women. We hope to continue the operation, though it is now being evaluated following protests," said Dewantoro, declining to provide statistics on the number or types of crimes against women in the city.

However, some residents have complained about the operation, which they say was introduced without first informing the public, has no legal basis and is nothing more than an attempt by the police to prepare the people of Batam for life under the new pornography law currently being debated by the House of Representatives.

Dewantoro acknowledged the police operation was launched at the same time the House was deliberating the pornography bill, but said the timing was coincidence. "We are not only warning women for wearing sexy outfits, but we also are calling on stores to stop selling such outfits," Dewantoro said.

Santi, a shop attendant at Mega Mall Center in Batam, said the operation had upset both female shoppers and the people who work in the shops. "We don't know which outfits are sexy and which aren't. My boss is afraid to sell women's clothes, fearing it might be against the law," she said.

One female shopper said there was nothing wrong with women wearing sexy clothes, which she said were fashionable. "Besides, the weather in Batam is very hot. If a top that is open in the back is considered pornographic, what clothes can we wear?"

The head of the Batam office of the Indonesian Tour Guides Association, Edy Surbakti, is concerned the police operation could harm tourism to the city. "Lots of Koreans visit Batam every day. You see how they dress. If they're warned by the police, they might not come back to Batam. Hopefully, this is only a trial operation," he said.

However, the operation has won the backing of some residents, including the chairman of the Batam branch of the Indonesian Ulema Council, Asyari Abbas. "I thank God for the operation, because exposing one's body is not part of our culture, and especially not our religion," Asyari said.