MCA lashes out at PAS’ gender laws

The summonses issued to non-Muslim hair salon owners in Kelantan by the PAS-led government has earned MCA's ire.

PETALING JAYA: MCA has come down hard on the PAS-led Kelantan state government for targeting non-Muslims in their enforcement of the state’s conservative moral code.

Wanita MCA secretary-general, Chew Lee Giok, highlighted a recent case where hair salon operators in Kota Baru were fined after their female workers cut the hair of male customers.

“The summonses by the Kota Baru Municipal Council against a Chinese female hairdresser for styling a man’s hair puts paid to claims that PAS’ hudud enactments will not affect non-Muslims,” she said.

She said that though these cases were few in number, it was nevertheless a sign of encroaching Muslim moral authority.

The Star today reported that hair salon operator Ong Lee Ting had been slapped with 11 summonses for flouting gender segregation by-laws since she opened her shop in 2010.

She also told the daily that her business licence was going to be revoked because of the large number of summonses issued.

The report added that Ong was fined under Section 107 (2) of the Local Council Act by-law, which “prohibited a woman from cutting a man’s hair and vice-versa regardless of religion”.

With this, Chew ridiculed PAS’ claims that hudud enactments would not affect non-Muslims.

Quit Pakatan, DAP told

Hudud refers to provisions in Islamic law that provides for penalties that are considered harsh, including removal of limbs for theft, and the stoning to death for fornication.

Many PAS leaders have pushed for hudud to be implemented in Malaysia, despite both Muslim and non-Muslim concerns.

Meanwhile, MCA central committee member Loh Seng Kok challenged the DAP to leave Pakatan Rakyat if it aims to remain true to Malaysia’s Chinese and non-Muslim communities.

He said that PAS’ constant backing of hudud law and an Islamic state was a sign that DAP held little influence within the opposition.

“If DAP does not want to pawn away the rights of the Chinese and non-Muslim communities, it should withdraw from the Pakatan coalition and declare that it does not support PAS hudud enactments,” Loh said.

In September 2011, Pakatan leader Anwar Ibrahim said that hudud would only become a reality if all Pakatan parties reached a consensus on the matter.

Furthermore, hudud can only be implemented after the Federal Constitution has been amended for this purpose.

However, this has not stopped PAS leaders from voicing their support for the strict Islamic penal code.