Islamic dress, tudung, not for all in Kelantan

Only women in the service industry issued summonses, under Ops Gempur Aurat, for not wearing the tudung.

KOTA BHARU: The Kota Bharu Municipal Council Islamic City (MPKB-BRI) is not going after Muslim men and women who do not meet its Islamic dress code, including those not wearing the tudung (headscarf) when they are out in public, according to the Star Online.

Its secretary Rosnazli Amin said while Muslim women in the service industry were required to put on tudung during working hours, the same ruling by the council did not apply to “the rest of the public”.

He refuted claims that the council had issued compounds to Muslim men and women for “not dressing appropriately in public”.

“I want to deny those claims. This false news is scaring outsiders away. We have only issued summonses to women involved in the service industry for not wearing tudung under the Ops Gempur Aurat (Aurat Attack Operation),” he said.

Rosnazli explained that under a by-law introduced more than 20 years ago, the council had the jurisdiction to act against Muslim women in the service industry who flouted the law.

WhatsApp messages have been circulating that MPKB-BRI is out to issue summonses to Muslim women on the streets for not wearing tudung, and for donning tight-fitting attire and short sleeves, while men who sport shorts above the knees will be fined RM50.

According to the message, couples need to carry their marriage certificates or they would be slapped with a RM100 fine.

Last October, the council announced that it would enforce an Islamic dress code on those in business, whereby women traders and workers who did not cover their hair and wore tight-fitting outfits would be liable to a fine up to RM500.

The ruling applies to Muslim women working in wet markets, supermarkets, hypermarkets, food outlets and all other commercial centres that require operating licences from the local authorities.

Non-Muslim business operators also risk being fined if their Muslim employees did not abide by the dress code.

Rosnazli said only about 30 Muslim women had received summonses for failing to adhere to the dress code when the council conducted the operation between October and early December last year.

“We haven’t had the operation since we were busy cleaning up after the floods. I believe the public have misunderstood the action taken by the council,” he said.

Kelantan Umno deputy chief Ahmad Jazlan Yaakub said he had not heard of the council’s move to act against inappropriately-dressed Muslims.