Lawyer Karpal Singh who was barred from representing Singaporean Muslims contesting a school ban on Islamic headscarves described the island state government's reasons for acting against him as "ridiculous".

Singapore's manpower ministry said lawyer Karpal Singh, who is also deputy chairman of opposition Democratic Action Party, was denied an employment pass because he was trying to "intervene in Singapore's internal affairs".

Citing numerous statements Karpal has made on the banning of young Muslim girls wearing the tudung or headscarf in school, the ministry accused the lawyer of wanting to "further his own agenda" by taking up the issue in court.

Karpal said the Singapore government had told him of the ban yesterday, but did not give reasons for it.

Informed of the manpower ministry's statement, Karpal told AFP : "I am shocked and surprised that the government would make such an unfair accusation which is certainly unwarranted and without any basis.

"The reason comes forth as plain ridiculous. The Singapore government should not find excuses for barring me from representing these girls."

Open defiance

Karpal highlighted the fact he had already once appeared in a Singapore court of appeal, in 1995.

Singapore's education ministry imposed the headscarf ban on the grounds of promoting racial harmony in the majority ethnic Chinese nation, provoking a rare show of open defiance and leading to four girls being banned from classes early this year.

In April, when Karpal offered to represent the families protesting the ban, he described the measure as "unlawful, discriminatory and unconstitutional", noting that Singaporean schools allow Sikh boys to wear turbans.

Karpal said he would seek further explanations of the ministry's accusations before deciding on his next course of action.

"I would want an explanation from the Singapore government. This is a very serious affair, to accuse someone of interfering in domestic affairs," he said. — AFP