The Malaysian government should introduce sharia-compliant uniforms for flight stewardesses serving the country’s airline companies in portraying its image as a Muslim country, said senator Hanafi Mamat on Tuesday. A string of racial and religious incidents in Malaysia has brought concerns of rising Islamic conservatism to the fore, widening the divide between Muslims and non-Muslims as the government plays on identity issues ahead of what is expected to be a jarring and contentious election season, writes Nile Bowie for Asia Times. Despite years of scandal pertinent to Malaysia’s 1MDB fund, Prime Minister Najib Razak’s party, the dominant political power since the 1940s, is in position to win next year’s parliamentary elections.