I write in response to the Terminator who asks that the fuss be stopped over the Inspector-General of Police's directive that the 'tudung' being worn for ceremonial occasions by the policewomen - even non-Muslims. He alluded to Malaysians working in the Middle East wearing the 'hijab' and stated that this was because the pay was good and therefore would do so without complaining.
Mr Terminator, when you go to Rome, do as the Romans do - you don't go there and impose your norms when you are the guest worker. Here, our policewomen of non-Muslim faiths are by no means guest workers.
They are probably third or even fourth generation descendants of migrants. Going back even one generation, our Malay (therefore Muslim) policewomen looked smart in their knee length skirts and not even one wore a tudung.
Outside the police force - also going back one generation - how many of our civil servants, teachers, students etc wore tudungs? We are so preoccupied with form over substance. Wearing a tudung is not going to make one any more pious.
The headscarf was worn in the MiddleEast to protect them from the sandstorms, searing heat and low humidity, amongst others. Here we have the highest humidity where you will sweat just after a shower.
All said and done, logic becomes a sensitive issue here when we talk or discuss religion but 'terminators' must remember that sensitivity is not the domain of one race or religion. Also, many 'terminators' are themselves second, third or fourth generation migrants!
Give us a break - stop the fuss and let those who want to remove their tudungs.