After putting up my post on Fantastic Facts You Might Fancy, I did some research and found a couple of great sites. Here's a few unbelievably stupid laws which I sourced from HERE, HERE and HERE.
Australia - It is illegal to roam the streets wearing black clothes, felt shoes and black shoe polish on your face as these items are the tools of a cat burglar.
France - Between the hours of 8AM and 8PM, 70% of the music in the radio must be by French composers.
Thailand - It is illegal to leave your house if you are not wearing underwear.
Italy - It is an offence for women of 'ill repute or evil looks' to enter a cheese factory in the area of Ferrara.
Scotland - It is illegal to be a drunk while in possession of a cow. If someone knocks on your door and requires the use of your residence, you must let them enter.
You may not fish on Sundays.
France - It is illegal in Antibes to take photos of police officers or police vehicles, even if they are just in the background. (I hope the photo at right isn't from Antibes!)
Singapore - If you are convicted of littering three times, you will have to clean the streets on Sundays with a bib on saying, "I am a litterer."
Sweden - You may only own half a meter down in the ground of any land you own.
U.K. - Since 1313, MPs are not allowed to don armor in Parliament.
England - All English males over the age 14 are to carry out 2 or so hours of longbow practice a week supervised by the local clergy.
Cambodia - Water guns may not be used in New Year's celebrations.
Australia - It is illegal to wear hot pink pants after midday Sunday.
Denmark - One may not be charged for food at an inn unless that person, by his or her own opinion, is "full".
France - No pig may be addressed as Napoleon by its owner.
Israel - It is forbidden to bring bears to the beach.
Well, they all sound so unbelievable! I cannot imagine how many more unbelievably stupid laws exist in this world. If you do know of any, please leave a comment to share your information. Thanks! Have a nice day!
20 comments to UNBELIEVABLY STUPID LAWS
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Anonymous In Malaysia one can say ALAMAK! freely but not ALLAH! Remember you mentioned 'true fact'? Well, that explains the confusion regarding what bloggers express.....we need a special dictionary for the Ministry of Communication for words like integrity, decorum, unity, etc.....I always maintain that laws are made to be 'broken' in order to be better! regards. bengaun.
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nick Sis,
In Malaysia, we have not stupid law but unjust and illegal laws (such contradiction is it not, Sis? One wonders how something that is illegal can be termed as laws?) ISA, AUKU, Printing and Presses, Police laws prohibiting public gathering are just a few of these illegal thing "they" (I use "they" to substitute "we" for obvious reason) enforce and enforced harshly. And this happens because TDM and his predecessor refused to abrogate the state of Emergency declared in the 60's.
Yes, we are technically still in the state of Emergency (though nowadays, I'm not sure who we are fighting or where the threat of insurgency is coming from?). And through this state of emergency, such illegal laws are allowed to exist. So I think Malaysian should ask the government to abrogate the emergency state we are in instead of clamoring for the repeal of ISA. If the emergency state is no longer, then automatically all of these illegal laws now in use by the BUN will cease to exist. And I think it would be a much better slogan and so much clearer an argument to present to the Malaysian people. The reasoning is simple "why are we still in the state of emergency when there is no CT anymore? Why are we still in the State of emergency when we have diplomatic ties and trade agreement with communist China? Why are we in a state of military caution and readiness when we are not at war with anyone or anything? WHY?
Let return the original constitution to it's rightful place and pressure the government to declare that the emergency situation is over! (in fact it has been over, with 2 decades of relative peace in Malaysia). Instead of taking a small town, let's conquer the capital city (so to speak with pun intended)! Lets use our resources cleverly and strategically (not to mention wisely having all Malaysian behind us!) Who can argue the need of the state of emergency now? In peaceful Malaysia! The UMNO cybertrooper cannot use the argument of ISA as the tool of democracy neither can the government! This is not about democracy but instead this is about the ambiance of safety and security in Malaysia. Who dares to state that Malaysia is preparing for war? Who dares to say that Malaysia is in a state of readiness in anticipation of invasion and or civil unrest? Who??? Our FDI have dropped tremendously and a single call or statement from the government stating that we are in fact an unstable (security and safety wise) nation would send the FDI and MNC packing and never return. Come people, think out of the box and fight them where they are vulnerable!
GOD bless Malaysia and it's people, Sis.
Nick.
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Anonymous "In Malaysia one can say ALAMAK! freely but not ALLAH!"
That's why some favored ppl can provoke a seriously offensive cow head incident and only just get a slap on their wrist while a few other unfavored ppl cannot light a candle and sing the negaraku!
If this is not applying the law by whim and fancy. what is?
It appears that "patriotism" is merely related to patronization and "national security" is about ruling elites' own self-fattening political security.
Deviously asinine terms in an inverted society steep in decadence.
~wits0~
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Cat-from-Sydney Australia - It is illegal to roam the streets wearing black clothes, felt shoes and black shoe polish on your face as these items are the tools of a cat burglar.
Aunty Paula, I totally agree with this law because:
1. the burglar pretends to be a cat, definitely a no-no with me
2. by pretending to be a cat will make it easier for them to steal cats
3. stolen cats will either end up as food (aarrggh!!!) or resold
roar! roar! roar!
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semuanya OK kot Meanwhile, in Bolehland,
- Candles are illegal. Cow-heads and krises are OK.
- Sodomy is illegal (Enforcement depends lah). Statutary rapists are e "innocent until proven guilty" if VIPs. Defending the rape victim may be illegal.
- A gathering of 4 or more in a public place is illegal (Enforcement depends lah). A mob can decide whether an indoor assembly is also illegal.
- Critcism of the wrong kind - "seditious" or "sensitive" - is illegal. The sole judgement of a political or civil servant may decide this. Not only must criticism be of the right kind, it must be "constructive", i.e. you must also provide the solution.
- Many things are illegal due to a state of multiple emergencies. However, we welcome tourists.
- Begging is illegal (Enforcement depends lah). Intimidating children to solicit for "donations" is OK.
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Unknown Dear ~wits0~
Many websites bear testimony to the fact that unbelievably stupid laws exist in this world regardless of the level of development in the country.
I am not sure if it is LKS who manages the blog or a staff. Regardless, it is tough to be a politician and a blogger because both are very demanding fields.
As a blogger, I find that it consumes a lot of my time and I honestly cannot imagine how people like LKS or Dr. Dzulkefly manage it.
Nonetheless, I agree with your views with regards to decorum, responses and the fact that we have to respond to commenters logically and rationally.
Take care and thanks for sharing.
Cheers
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Anonymous "I am not sure if it is LKS who manages the blog or a staff."
Neither am I but he ought to see to it that his mods are not some queer Ngeh Ngah choy there.
~wits0~
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Unknown Dear Beng Aun
Lovely to hear from you and what a witty response you have shared this time. I hope that one day, those irrelevant laws in our country will be repealed and others reformed for the good of the nation. Take care and have a lovely evening. Do keep in touch!
Cheers
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Unknown Dear Nick
Honestly, I strongly believe that you should join a political party and offer yourself as a candidate for the next election.
You have very sharp thinking, can rationalize so logically, argue persuasively, relate to people most wittily and can hold people's attention. Apart from that, you have much insight, perspective and passion which many lack. In short, you have all the makings of a great politician and leader!!!
I am completely bowled over by your eloquent and analytical argument wrt ISA. Awesome! I have never come across such a convincing anti-ISA argument like yours!!
Thank you so much. May you continue to enlighten and inspire us.
Take care and have a blessed week!
Salam
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Unknown Dear ~wits0~
Theoretically, 1Malaysia has been launched. Historically, we have 2Malaysia and I hope that will change soon!
It is all up to the rakyat now!
Cheers
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Unknown Dear Cat-in-Sydney
Wow!! That is a brilliant comment! Thanks so much for sharing such a clever comment.
Take care and have a great week and roar when anyone tries to steal your food!
Salam
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Unknown Dear semuanya OK kot
Finally!!! You made my dream come true!!! Your response was exactly the response I tried to elicit with my post.
Thanks so much for jiving with the post and coming up with this brilliant list!
Take care and have a great week ahead. Do keep in touch!
Cheers!
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Unknown Dear ~wits0~
LOL!! Love the ngah ngah choy expression you used. By the way, I also love the Ipoh ngah choy kai!
Cheers
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Anonymous "- A gathering of 4 or more in a public place is illegal"
Bad laws made by stupid ppl and further abused by those in power and enforcement.
Weddings always overflow into the roads outside in every housing area and the numbers are always far in excess of 4!
~wits0~
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Unknown Dear ~wit0~
I am very sure there are many more silly legislation if we can to put them under the magnifying glass...
Cheers
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semuanya OK kot ~wits0~, it is about the availability of choice. There are so many choices for how to fix up an ordinary guy trying to protest or resist, depending on the outcome desired. e.g.
- to stop a demo.
- to close down a periodical.
- to punish someone allegedly in possesson of arms/ammunition/narcotics.
- to kill a business.
- to "solve" cases of violence.
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Anonymous The matter of, "the availability of choice" by any government cannot be simply unfettered for this encourage excess and abuse.
Therefore the laws passed must take this factor into careful consideration when these so-called leaders and lawmakers make laws. But this has not, as has been clearly demonstrated over the decades, happened.
Instead we see the Gomen clinging to bad laws because that work for their own elitist benefit rather than the people's benefit. This is evil.
~wits0~
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Anonymous Bad laws, stupid laws, unjust laws, evil laws etc. are mostly found in bolihland. It is the evil of manipulative politicians that are bending the laws to suit their whim & fancy.
Every issue has the connection of selectiveness and in their eyes they see only what they think is right. They will interpret the way it fits them well. Sad, sad and indeed sad. Let us all just ship these clowns to Timbaktu. Before that we must be angry enough to vote them out, ya.
~ahoo~
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Anonymous "Every issue has the connection of selectiveness and in their eyes.." - ahoo.
Indeed, ahoo, e.g., any astute person can detect that everything that MahaKutty ever did, every decision he ever made, were really done for the wrong hidden reason and certainly less than noble intention.
This is the extent and measure of the camouflaged perversity of Bolehland.
~wits0~
Anonymous When LKS' blog could not support a simple fact earlier that there are indeed bad laws, I dropped it, ceased commenting there. Recently saw him using rightly the term, "bad law", as well.
Commentators are not begging to be there, anywhere in any blogs. Bloggers can expect decorum ; commentators in turn, expect propriety too and they(or mods) better be prepared to defend fundamental points as a matter of expectation, without being asked.
~wits0~