Bad odours make bad marriages

Bad body odour, boring bedroom attire and a general lack of togetherness are cited as causes of the growing divorce rate in Malaysia. Government is tackling the problem by boldly going where few Muslim governments have gone before — into the bedroom.

KUALA TERENGGANU, Malaysia — The couple that baths together stays together, at least in the eyes, so to speak, of the Malaysian state government. With divorce rates rising in the predominantly Muslim country, the government announced Monday it will be offering classes featuring some surprising suggestions. The goal is to strength marriage bonds by promoting romance and intimacy. Workshops to kick-up Malaysian love life will give wives instruction on the use of perfume and the wearing of lingerie. Husbands will be encouraged to bath or shower to reduce body odour and to wear clean pyjamas on their spiffy, clean bodies. Few surprises here. Muhammad Ramli Nuh, a top official in the state’s Islamic development council, said, “I know of one case where a separation was triggered just because the spouse smelled of fish crackers.” To battle bad odours in the bedroom, the state is inviting cosmetics manufacturers to develop specific exotic, sensuous scents aimed at removing boredom from marriage by arousing sexual desire. Authorities in this religious, and very conservative country, are boldly suggesting that couples spend more time together by eating together — no surprise here — and even bathing together. Now, there's a surprise. “Their time together shouldn’t only be in the bedroom sleeping,” Ramli said. Ramli told the Malaysia Star yesterday that at least three in every 10 marriages in the state end in divorce, adding that separation was now the prevalent trend among couples aged between 25 and 30 years. He hoped these measure would cut the divorce rate among young Malaysian couples.