A Singaporean Muslim is battling financial constraints and false accusations to send his daughter to study in Australia so that she can get basic education without having to remove her tudung (headscarf).

Inflight services officer Mohamed Naser Jamaludin said he has pooled his financial resources including loans from family and friends so that he can fulfill his obligations as a Muslim parent.

He would like to provide his six-year-old daughter Nurul Nasiha (photo) with an education while teaching her Islamic values.

Nasser's predicament has come about because the Singapore government has banned the wearing of tudung by Muslim schoolgirls during school hours.

He said financial setbacks have forced him to send his eldest daughter Nur Isyirah, 11, to Sydney to help his wife Juliana Mohamed, who also has to take care of their six-month old baby.

"I have had no choice but to stop Nur Isyirah's education at a madrasah here in Singapore so that she can be with my wife. I can't afford the A$8,000 annual fee to send Issyirah to a public school in Sydney.

"So I have arranged for her to get home school services which are provided free of charge. But this is only a temporary measure."

Religious obligations

Although some may describe his decision to move half of his family to Sydney as an 'over-reaction', Nasser told malaysiakini that this was necessary for him to uphold his religion and his constitutional rights.

"If they say I am over-reacting, then they are saying the same thing about the religion itself. Wearing the tudung is an obligation stated in the Holy Quran and the >Sunnah (Traditions of the Prophet).

"It's not something that I have made up. As a parent, I have a responsibility to tarbiyyah (teach) my kids Islamic values from young, as stated in the Sunnah, " he said.

Nasser said he was willing to allow Nurul to attend public school in Singapore without wearing the tudung but on the condition that the government gives a written assurance that she can wear it once she reaches puberty. His request, however, was denied.

"In fact, they made the ridiculous suggestion that I send Nurul to a madrasah if I insist that she wears the tudung when she reaches puberty.

"It is insulting to me and to the madrasah . It will affect her studies if she were to suddenly change school because the madrasah system is different from that of public schools here."

Grateful to Malaysia

On Nurul's progress, Nasser said he is relieved that she has been doing well at King Khalid Islamic College since she started two weeks ago. Her sisters and mother are also starting to adapt to life in Sydney.

"She had been out of school for about seven months, so you can imagine her excitement on her first day. We are all happy, so long as she is happy," said Nasser.

However, he is sad that the other three girls who were also suspended after challenging the tudung ban have not been able to pursue other options due mainly to financial problems.

Asked why he had not accepted an invitation that would have allowed Nurul to study in Malaysia which would have been a lot cheaper than Australia he said he did not want to further strain ties between Malaysia and Singapore.

"I am honoured by the invitation from the (Malaysian) deputy education minister but Malaysia and Singapore have had debates on many sensitive issues. I do not want to add to this. That's why I had to decline. I thank the Malaysian government for its thoughtfulness," he said.

On why Muslim parents in Singapore are willing to send their children to madrasahs although they know that the standard of education is lower than that of public schools, Nasser said it was due to growing awareness of the importance of religious education and upbringing.

"But I should point out that madrasahs have their own financial problems. Due to constraints, they cannot provide good facilities and teachers. If they are given the same grant as other schools, I believe they can be on par if not better than the rest," he said.

He himself would not have faced a problem if Nurul's application to study in one of the six madrasahs in the republic had been accepted.

Nurul's application had been rejected due to the Singapore government's restriction on student intake by madrasahs , he said.

'Wild allegations'

Nasser said his decision to stand up for his religious rights had resulted in many unfair accusations, including that he had misused his company's money and absconded with public donations to meet legal costs.

"When I returned from Australia where I was arranging for Nurul's registration, I heard all these wild allegations. They (the government) accused me of using the tudung to send my family to Sydney," he said.

"It is so stupid, the tudung fund only managed to raise about S$8,000. They also said ridiculous things like I have other wives elsewhere."

"But I am taking all this in my stride. I do not regret anything. In fact, this has made me stronger and more determined. These people are making false accusations. I have chosen this path and will face the consequences."

He said such allegations would not dissipate his determination and he had the full support of his family, relatives and friends.

"My Chinese and other non-Muslim friends have expressed support for my struggle. Despite what the government says, we respect one another and have no problems with anyone, whether they wear the tudung or not," he added.

"It's the just the government that is causing me problems."