Ezra Sihite – House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Pramono Anung has criticized proposals to ban short skirts in Indonesia, saying the state had more important things to do.

"The state or the government should not be concerned with skirts. Our public appreciates differences and we don't denigrate women," Pramono said in Jakarta on Thursday.

"What we need to take care of are mini-brains and mini-morals. I disagree with regulation on miniskirts," the opposition politician added.

Religious Affairs Minister Suryadharma Ali has triggered fresh controversy on Tuesday after saying the government was considering regulating how women should dress, including that skirts should not be above the knee.

Suryadharma, also the executive chairman of the recently established anti-pornography task force, said the task force was determining what constituted pornography and how best to deal with it. "We think that there should be general criteria [on how women should dress]. For example, women's skirts should go past their knees," he said.

The task force was set up earlier this month to implement the controversial 2008 Law on Pornography. (BeritaSatu/JG)