The controversy surrounding a hotel's decision to ban frontline staff from wearing the headscarf underscores the need for laws to ensure equal opportunities at work, PKR vice-president Mohd Rafizi Ramli said.

Rafizi said the hotel's decision does not violate any law in force, and the problem, which he described as being based on prejudice, would recur unless the necessary laws are legislated.

One solution would be the Fair Work and Career Opportunity Act, which Rafizi proposed in his book “Guide to Rebuilding Our Nation” published earlier this year.

"(This law) will guarantee job opportunities and fairness to all Malaysians, thus making discrimination based on religion, race, gender and disabilities a crime," he said in a statement today.

Rafizi, the Pandan MP, said a commission could be established to monitor the implementation of the law and conduct tribunals to resolve disputes.

He said he would be lobbying fellow lawmakers in Parliament, and hoped that Human Resource Minister Richard Riot Jaem (photo) would take up the suggestion.

Rafizi also expressed disappointment over PAS information chief Nasrudin Hassan's decision to play up religious and racial sentiments when discussing the ban.

"I respect Nasrudin's decision to raise issues regarding workplace discrimination. I just hope that there will not be a religious and racial dimension to it," he said.

Yesterday, Nasrudin had complained that there was public outrage over the "Muslims-only" launderette, but relative silence over the headscarf ban.

Nasrudin claimed that the episode highlighted that Muslims were being denied their rights to practice their faith in their own country.

Recently, the Malaysian Association of Hotels courted flak after it defended an international hotel chain's decision to ban frontline staff from wearing a headscarf.

The association claimed that some international hotels have uniform dress codes in all their establishments.

However, those who wished to don a headscarf would continue working in the other sections of the hotel.