By Jonathan Kent BBC correspondent in Malaysia

The chief minister of the Malaysian state of Selangor is urging local women to take their dirty laundry to the authorities.

He is asking wives who suspect their husbands of visiting prostitutes to present it as evidence to the police, so they can use the information to organise raids and catch the men red-handed.

Dr Khir Toyo is keen to enlist women in the battle against Malaysia's vice trade.

Speaking to a Malaysian women's organisation, he suggested wives look out for tell-tale signs, like stains and hotel receipts, when washing their husbands' clothes.

Sex workers

Malaysia has been taking increasingly tough measures against the sex industry, with thousands of arrests made in the last year.

Recently the government announced it was considering imposing more stringent visa conditions on young women from certain countries such as China and India.

Thousands of women are brought to Malaysia to work as prostitutes, many against their will.

However, so far, it is primarily the women who have been targeted by the authorities rather than their clients.