Psychology defines that every human being needs a 'personal space' which one guards very specifically and only allows trusted people and systems to violate. Within this internal private personal space are the domains of personal conscience and personal belief, or faith which help define and refine the nature of human dignity and destiny.

While the above two domains are internal to a person, the public space around the person is also considered personal private space, although in the public realm. When I was in the Royal Military College, I was taught that, while on the parade square, what was inside the beret was considered my personal hair but what was outside the beret belonged to the army and they can do what they wanted with it, that is, while I remained within army jurisdiction. The only exception was my Punjabi friends who were allowed to wear their turbans in lieu of the beret, as their hair and the turban were part of their belief system.

This past week, the inspector-general of police (IGP) appears to have single-handedly violated the cabinet decision by decreeing his personal religious belief as public law instructing female police personnel to wear the tudung (head-scarf) through a directive.