Gender segregation at hair salons outrageous; causes unjust income loss on non-Muslims

MCA’s sounding the alarm that PAS’ policies will affect non-Muslim is once again proven in the recent case where the Kota Bharu Municipal Council (MPKB) slapped summons against Chinese, non-Muslim female hair salon owners after deeming that they had committed an offence in cutting the hair of non-Muslim male clients. Section 107(2) of the Local Council Act by-laws forbids unisex services at Kota Bharu hair salons irrespective of religion.

In claiming that non-Muslims are not subject to PAS hudud enactments nor would they affect non-Muslims, PAS is lying absolutely through their teeth. This deception is designed to appear moderate and win non-Muslim ballots. The hair dressers’ case in Kota Bharu is just another example as to how PAS policies causes unjust income loss on non-Muslim entrepreneurs trying to earn an honest living.

Livelihoods stunted

It is bad enough that PAS tears families apart when it enforces separated check out counters and cinemas in Kelantan, but the extension of this gender segregation ruling to hair salons owners results with unnecessary economic hardship and talent loss. This is because, in addition to having to pay fines, proprietors would have to reduce hiring employees or even releasing a few of them as they cannot accept clients of the opposite gender which effectively leads to a reduction of clients coming to their hair salon.

Hair stylists would also have to leave Kelantan state to seek a living in other states, while consumers maybe burdened with higher costs as hair dressers raise their prices to cover rental and other overheads.

PAS must stop treating people as immature

The premises of the hair salon is transparent, whereby outsiders can see through the glass walls the hair dressers cutting, colouring or perming their customers’ hair. Hence, it is impossible to carry out form of unsavoury or obscene activity in broad daylight at a public outlet.

Something must be very warped with PAS’ mentality to assume that any form of contact between a pair of scissors, comb and hair dye with the hair of the opposite gender leads to lust. Such self-righteousness spells sheer hypocrisy like the holier-than-thou Talibans who had no qualms oppressing their own people.

Who cares for DAP’s consensus call? PAS? Not at all

DAP Secretary General Lim Guan Eng’s declaration that so long as there is no consensus or that PAS’ proposals are not contained in Pakatan’s Buku Jingga, PAS hudud enactments will not be adopted. However, the Kelantan scenario clearly shows that PAS does not care a twig as to what DAP announces.

DAP wields no influence at all in trying to reason with PAS. Hence, DAP will not be able to protect the non-Muslim community but paradoxically is only helping PAS to subjugate Malaysians further no different from the Taliban regime.

Tan Cheng Liang
Wanita MCA Penang chairman