Ezra Sihite & Markus Junianto Sihaloho – The House of Representatives seems to be shooting itself in the foot with a ban on skimpy clothes, as the unit in charge of formulating the regulation is struggling to set the definition of "proper clothing."

"We can't really describe how to dress properly when someone goes to a public institution's office," Jaka Dwi Winarko, the spokesman for the House secretariat general, said on Wednesday. "It just has to be proper according to general standards."

Jaka said the regulation was designed to target lawmakers' expert staff members and private assistants who he said were known for wearing "improper clothes." The problem did not extend to members of the House themselves, Jaka said.

House Speaker Marzuki Alie said the ban would help prevent rape in society at large. "The DPR [House] does not deal with miniskirts, but we know that many rapes and immoral cases occur because women dress inappropriately," he said on Tuesday. "With so many rape cases, I'd still like to call on women to wear decent clothes."

House Deputy Speaker Priyo Budi Santoso said lawmakers' secretaries and assistants should not "dress like they're going to the malls."

The plan to curb miniskirts has been condemned by women's rights activists and some lawmakers, such as the Democratic Party's Ruhut Sitompul and the Golkar Party's Nurul Arifin.

Even Yogyakarta's Queen Hemas questioned the plan during her visit to the House on Wednesday. "I am surprised that with all their work [lawmakers] have the time to regulate the size of people's skirts," she said.

Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) lawmaker Eva Kusuma Sundari said Marzuki's remarks were a sign of his "shallow" perspective on women.

Eva highlighted countries like Saudi Arabia, where cases of rape, particularly against Indonesian maids, are rampant despite strict clothing regulations. Conversely, in Scandinavian countries, where clothing is not regulated, there are few such incidents. "The real problem is with men. Don't treat women like sexual objects," she said.

Chika Noya, founder of Action for Women Against Rape, called the comments "ridiculous." "We expect them to make regulations to protect women from violence, not condemn them for the way they dress."

But former models-turned-politicians Venna Melinda and Noura Dian Hartarony said they were fine with the ban, explaining that the rule could help form "the character of the nation."

[Additional reporting by DPA and AFP.]