Hotel ruling affects Sikhs with turbans as well, says Nazri

The uniform policy in certain hotels not only affects Muslim women, who are barred from wearing headscarves at the front desk but others as well, according to Tourism and Culture Minister Nazri Abdul Aziz.

Therefore, Nazri said he would also defend non-Muslims who are subject to discrimination in their workplace.

“This is not just about Muslims. The Punjabis and Sikhs wear turbans. This is the reason why not many of them work there (in the hotels)...

“We will monitor (the situation). We hope that employees who face discrimination will inform us,” he told reporters in Seri Kembangan, Selangor.

Nazri also supported the government's call on local councils to revoke the licences of hotels which disallow their female Muslim staff from wearing headscarves.

The minister reiterated that the policy violated the Federal Constitution.

“We cannot issue conditions which are against the Federal Constitution... So hotels with such conditions must revoke them. Failing which, action will be taken against them,” he added.

Various quarters, including politicians from both sides of the divide, have expressed outrage over the uniform ruling.

A Muslim consumer association urged Muslims to boycott these hotels while an Umno Youth leader called for the de-registration of the Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH).

The uniform policy landed in the spotlight after Union Network International-Malaysia Labour Centre (UNI-MLC) said it received complaints from female hotel employees that their management does not allow them to wear headscarves at work.

UNI-MLC also said students in hospitality and tourism courses have also been instructed to remove their headscarves before going on internships or the company would not hire them.

As a result, some employees had no choice but to remove their headscarf during work before putting it back on after their shift ended.

-Mkini