Rising to the challenge by the Education Ministry for proof that non-Muslim female students at the International Islamic University (IIU) had been forced to don the tudung (headscarf), several DAP parliamentarians today distributed copies of the university rules which they say do just that.

Armed with copies of the IIU's Discipline of Student Rules1984 and Rules of Conduct and Attire for Students, DAP secretary-general Kerk Kim Hock and MP Fong Po Kuan said the ministry should now take action to rectify o­ne particular clause relating to non-Muslim students.

Show no hair

Kerk ( right ) said the offensive clause, item 1.2 of the Rules of Conduct for Student, stated that non-Muslims are "required to respect Islamic code of conduct and comply with university rules and regulations and shall not act in any way which may be interpreted as disrespectful to Islam or the university."

By extension, Kerk said, the clause covered matters relating to attire, including two provisions requiring female students to cover their bodies and don head-covers.

"Item 2.1.1 states the attire should cover the whole body except the face and palms. Item 2.4.1 states the head-cover should properly cover the head and does not reveal the hair, neck, chest and shoulders," he noted.

Last Friday, parliamentary-secretary to the Education Ministry Mohd Mahadzir Khir had asked the opposition members to present written proof of their claim that non-Muslim female students are being forced to wear the tudung.

The challenge was issued after Fong ( left ) revealed that she had to wear the tudung during the four years she spent as a student at the IIU. The parliamentary-secretary said students may have been encouraged to wear head-covers but insisted there is no compulsion by authorities.

When contacted today, Mohd Mahadzir said he needed time to look into DAP's 'proof'.

No 'respect'

Asked if the clauses amounted to a compulsory directive to wear the tudung, Kerk said the provision for non-Muslims should be removed altogether.

"If they remove the clause, it would solve the issue. The use of the term 'respect' is not right since it puts pressure o­n students to comply. This is possible at a place of worship but not a university.

"In reality, if you go to the IIU today, all non-Muslim women wear the tudung. The guards there will tell you to respect the code and so many students are required to follow it."

Kerk also dismissed a suggestion that the tudung policy may be appropriate because of the university's status as an Islamic institution, saying that acceptance of such an explanation may have other implications o­n non-Muslims.

"Where do you draw the line? Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad had already declared Malaysia an Islamic state. If you think that (non-Muslim women should) wear the tudung in an Islamic university, what then in an Islamic state?" he questioned.

Islamic values in schools

On a related matter, Kerk said DAP has rejected Mohd Mahadzir's statement o­n Friday that an issue over the compulsion o­n female students at the Ipoh's Politeknik Ungku Omar to wear the baju kurung o­n Fridays had been resolved.

Kerk referred to a visit by Fong to the school three months ago when she found the practice still prevailing.

"I have directed our Perak leaders to go to the school this week to observe the situation," he said.

In a separate press statement, DAP Wanita central executive committee chairperson Chong Eng said the Education Ministry should issue clear instructions to public schools and universities to prohibit authorities from imposing Islamic dress codes o­n non-Muslim students.

"(Mahathir) had accused some overzealous public servants of hijacking national schools by introducing Islamic values into the schools and (thereby) resulting in the (reluctance) of non-Muslim parents to send their children to national schools," she said.

"Could the IIU case be another 'hijack' by certain officers in the university?"