The religious authorities raided a transvestite beauty pageant and arrested 80 Muslim contestants and guests, officers said today.

State religious officer Abdul Rahim Mahmud told AFP that his team of men, backed by police, stormed the "Queen of Paperdolls 2002" contest late Monday in Muar, a small town in southern Johor state.

He said the transvestites ran helter-skelter and some tried to evade arrest by hiding in secret compartments in the lounge.

Abdul Rahim declined to say how many people were arrested but The Star newspaper reported that 80 of the nearly 200 transvestites, many dressed in elaborate satin gowns and jewellery, were detained.

Wearing female clothes

He said those arrested would likely be charged with wearing female clothes and acting like a woman in a public place, an offence under Islamic Shariah law.

If convicted, they face a fine of up to RM1,000 and six months imprisonment.

Several women who were arrested were being investigated for "being at the vice den" and may be charged with behaving indecently under the same law, he added.