I refer to Masturah Alatas' Aspects of the tudung .

I am what one could say, a modern Malay man - perhaps too modern to be considered a good Muslim but nevertheless one who observes life, people and their culture from an objective angle.

Having travelled overseas extensively and lived in eight different countries for the first 26 years of my life before coming back to settle in Malaysia, I have the advantage of being able to view things from different perspectives.

The tudung conventionally creates an impression of piety and hence high moral standing. I believe that the majority of Muslim ladies who wear the tudung fit this description. However, I have come to experience that there are a minority who spoil the bunch.

I have noticed the following among Malay girls who were wearing a tudung:

wearing tight-fitting clothes

wearing low-cut blouses revealing some cleavage

wearing 'baby T' T-shirts that reveal more flesh than cloth, including their midriff

smoking

engaging in amorous acts with their boyfriends in public places (the KLCC fountain is a favourite)

the 'now you see it, now you don't' i.e. girls who selectively wear their tudung during the day but conveniently remove it when they go partying at night. (I personally have dated girls who supposedly wear a tudung and I assure you there is nothing high about their moral standing).

The above, to me, indicates a great deal of hypocrisy. Clearly these girls were insincere in their intention to wear a tudung; in fact they are insulting the tudung and Islam (imagine a man wearing a 'jubah' swigging a mug of beer).

Peer pressure from family and even friends compel them to wear one without really understanding and appreciating its significance. There are cases of girls at school who don't wear a tudung being ostracised for 'not fitting in'.

In government organisations where the majority of female Muslim staff wear a tudung, those who choose to go without are viewed in a prejudiced light, not just by the women, but by men too.

I believe too much of an issue has been made of the tudung to the point that it has become form without substance. To me, a tudung is just headgear - it has absolutely no bearing on the moral standing or behaviour of the person wearing it.

A woman can be a good Muslim with good moral values with or without a tudung. Likewise, a woman of loose morals cannot hide behind the tudung.

A woman should be free to choose whether she wants to wear a tudung or not based on a conscious and informed decision. At the same time, society must broaden its mind and not have pre-conceived ideas and opinions based on just one aspect of a woman's appearance.