I refer to the letter Non-use of tudung has brought moral decay by Zainol Abideen. Even if - as pointed out by him - some tudung-wearing Muslim women put on jeans and tightfitting dresses, this is not so much the cause for moral decay as is the uncontrollable lust in men preying on them.

I need not to give examples, as there are already enough media reports on molestation, incest, rape, etc, committed by such men, on decently-dressed victims, the majority of whom presumably don the tudung, especially in the East Coast states.

I understand that the tudung is not compulsory for Muslim women, otherwise female Muslim newscasters on TV3 and RTM would have to wear them whilst performing 'official functions' like reading prime-time news.

It should also be noted that Umno wanita chief Rafidah Aziz and Umno Puteri chief Noraini Ahmad, prominent Muslim women leaders, attend most official functions without the tudung.

And it is wrong for Zainol to suggest that by not donning the tudung Siti Nurhaliza, Misha Omar and Sarah Raisuddin are setting a bad example for Muslim women.

Is Zainol also saying that in the 50s and 60s, when Malay women wore their sarong kebaya, but without the tudung (as you see them in P Ramlee films), they were not dressed decently? The late P Ramlee would be the first to take Zainol to task on this matter.

The bottom line here is what should the authorities be doing about men who do not hesitate to prey on women - even old grandmothers and six-month-old babies?

It would be much better for Zainol to quote verses from the Quran/Hadith to warn these beasts of the possible stiffest penalties - not excluding eternal damnation.

But by directing his message to the women, who understandably do not put on the tudung for a variety of reasons, Zainol is clearly barking up the wrong tree.