KUALA LUMPUR, March 8: The daughter of former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad has likened the status of Muslim women in Malaysia to that of South African blacks under apartheid.

Marina Mahathir, a prominent social activist, made the claim in her regular Wednesday column for the Star daily to mark International Women’s Day.

Marina Mahathir said that apartheid was still being practised in other forms even though it had disappeared from South Africa.

“In our country, there is an insidious growing form of apartheid among Malaysian women, that between Muslim and non-Muslim women.”

Malaysia’s population of 25 million is dominated by 60 per cent Muslim Malays. Chinese and Indians make up 26 per cent and eight per cent respectively.

“We are unique in that we actively legally discriminate against women who are arguably the majority in this country, Muslim women. Non-Muslim Malaysian women have benefited from more progressive laws over the years while the opposite has happened for Muslim women,” said Marina Mahathir.—AFP