Thirty-one women have been arrested in northern Malaysia for wearing tight clothing or not donning a headscarf, in a crackdown during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, a media report said today.

Warnings were issued to 24 of the women and the rest were sent for counselling, The Star reported, citing the Sin Chew Daily.

The drive against inappropriate clothing will continue for the whole month of Ramadan, the report said.

During Ramadan, Muslims have to abstain from eating, drinking and smoking from dawn to sunset.

Eating and drinking during the daytime leads to fines of RM500 (US$122) in Kelantan, one of the more conservative states in the country.

- dpa