Spore tudung ban wrong but should be respected: Minister
Women and Family Development Minister Sharizat Jalil today rapped Singapore over its decision to disallow four Muslim Year One students from wearing their tudung (head scarf) to school but said the republic had the right to implement whatever policies it chose.
As a Muslim, I personally believe that all human beings should be given the right to practise their own religion and this includes what that particular religion necessitates, said the minister in a statement.
The choice of whether a tudung should be worn or not should be left to the individual and not the government, she added.
However, Sharizat said Singapore was a sovereign nation with the right to implement whatever policies, laws, rules and regulations it chose.
The government of Malaysia practises a policy of non-interference in the internal matters of other countries. Therefore we respect the decision and policy of the Singaporean government on this issueshe said.
Shahrizat is among several Malaysian politicians who have aired their views since the tudung controversy arose in the republic after it was highlighted by a Malay daily there.
Level headed
At a function in Kuala Lumpur this morning, Shahrizat expressed surprise over the Singaporean governments move, saying the republics administration was usually level headed in their policies.
In Malaysia, we are lucky we have not imposed any of these things. If you are Sikh you can wear the turban or if want to wear the skull cap, go ahead. We respect the tenets of every religion.
We must understand that the tudung is an integral part of our religion and every Muslim must be given the right to wear the tudung because it is between me and my God, she added.
Other Malaysian figures who have criticised the Singapore policy include Deputy Education Minister Abdul Aziz Shamsuddin, Information Ministry parliamentary secretary Zainuddin Maidin, PAS Youth Chief Mahfuz Omar, DAP national chairperson Lim Kit Siang and his deputy Karpal Singh.
On Thursday, Singapores Foreign Ministry lashed out at Aziz, saying he should not interfere in the republics internal affairs.
Singapore has explained that the tudung ban in its schools was implemented to ensure racial and religious integration.
Singapores Deputy Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong was reported as saying dress and symbols do make a difference in his governments effort to promote racial and religious integration and harmony.
The seven-year-old students involved in the controversy had to go through counselling besides facing a deadline which expired yesterday to remove their tudung or be excluded from Singapores national school system.
Three of the girls attended school yesterday still wearing their tudung while another opted for home schooling. The school authorities have extended the deadline to Monday.
Meanwhile, International Movement for Just World president Chandra Muzaffar urged the Singapore government to review its tudung ban for the 'sake of harmony and unity'.
In a statement today, he said the decision would alienate the republic's Muslim community from the state besides widening the chasm between a largely non-Muslim Chinese political leadership and a crucial religious minority.
"At a time when it has to retain the trust and confidence of the Muslim comunity while isolating militant elements in their midst, the tudung issue threatens to jeopardise the Singapore's government's larger endeavour to ensure the stability and security of its society," said Chandra.
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