During World War II, when the Japanese occupied Malaya, my grandmother stopped wearing her sari when she went out of the house, donning instead a vaishti, the traditional sarong-like garment worn by men. She also coiled her long hair into a turban and disguised all other signs of femininity.
My grandmother was a deeply conservative and traditional woman. But she was also pragmatic and acutely aware of the dangers a woman faced. Stories were circulating how Japanese troops had seized and raped girls.
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