A Code of Their Own

VINCENT THIAN/AP

Cover Up: The enforcement of stringent Islamic laws may shake up some of Malaysias idyllic beaches

Life is slow in the northeastern state of Terengganu and that is exactly what visitors like about it. The long stretches of unspoiled beach along its 255-kilometer coast, the coral reefs and even the odd sea turtle attract more than 1.4 million tourists each year, including 150,000 foreigners.

From now on, they had better be on their best behavior. In July, the state assembly passed a comprehensive set of new Islamic laws and called for punishments familiar from the Taliban's days in Afghanistan: whipping for a range of relatively minor offenses such as consumption of alcohol; stoning to...

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