The following comments were written and sent to me by Mohd Khalil Tajuddin, who is my blog reader. Thank you Khalil. My comments follow.
Dear Tuan Syed,
I have been a regular visitor to your blog for many years already but this is the first time I am writing to you.
I have noted of the recent brouhaha over the tudung issue in our international 5 star hotels and would like to share my thoughts with you.
While I do not intend to be dragged into the argument of whether hijab is a compulsion or merely customary, I am more concerned about the negative impact that it may bring to the Malay Muslim employment prospect.
Our Tourism Minister Nazri is definitely talking faster than he can think by labelling these hotels impudent for imposing such ban. Little did he know that the backlash may be greater than he thought.
As it is, our younger Malays' proficiency in English is already at an alarming level and chances of them being recruited as a front liner is slowly diminishing by the day. Coupled with the influence of the ustazs (as well as the "cyber ustazs wannabes") where anything Arabic is deemed civilised and religiously acceptable, Arabic seems to be the preferred language for these people. This could be attributed to the fact that they want to hide their English language command deficiency.
Now these very people want to impose their preference on other people's business, which is not their bloody business in the first place.
When a person works in an international hotel, it has it's own dress code/uniform for each department. Housekeeping staff would not be wearing the same uniform as the front office staff. Likewise, even F&B staff uniforms may differ depending on their outlets i.e. coffee house, japanese, chinese, western, banquet or pub.
If the front office standard uniform is skirt and jacket (as in most hotels), wouldn't it look funny when some Melayus are spotted wearing tudung in a skirt and jacket? To make it funnier, imagine them wearing skin colour stockings/pantyhose to match the uniform. Pants are rarely chosen in hotel uniforms.
There is no way the hotel is going to change their uniform standard when it is already approved by their HQ and applied worldwide. Would they risk be a laughing stock by having a hijab wearing front office staff in a skirt?
Secondly, if the person is hijab wearing and attends an interview with an international hotel for a position in front office, what is the likelihood of her being recruited? I dare say zero percent. This is not discriminatory in my view, but merely due to unsuitability. And the cause of rejection may not necessarily be the hijab afterall but could be personality as well.
I know that some people may argue that Hilton, Le Meridien, Marriott or even Hyatt have presence in Makkah too but what the people may not be aware is that their front office staff are predominantly male. No female as front liners.
Our local international brand hotels may start practicing all male front liners too but what would the gender equality activists say then? It would be interesting to hear what they have to say when hotels stop recruiting female front office staff. Or if they have to do so, they will hire non-Muslims. No risk of them wearing tudung at all.
Now, what if the person is already recruited and suddenly decided to wear hijab? The hotel may be put in a catch 22 situation for sure, but if I am the General Manager of Head of HR, I would immediately issue a show cause to the person for failure to follow the uniform dress code. It is not that I am against a hijab wearing person but discipline has to be maintained. I don't want a situation where suddenly everyone turns up with all sort of tudung style i.e. Neelofa, bawal, Fareeda etc. It will be chaotic hahaha.
Now let's touch on the F&B staff. While majority may not be required to serve liquor, what if a hijab wearing waitress is required to serve liquor? Can she refuse by saying "Look Boss, I wear hijab and it is haram for me to serve liquor". Hotel guests come from all over the world and not only limited to the female jubah-wearing-Malay-Muslim Arab wannabes. Service standard would be severely affected by this refusal.
Ultimately, when the international hotels are compelled to allow hijab wearing front liners, they will just decide to stop hiring female Malays (tudung or otherwise). Those who are already in employment will be transferred to the back of the office to rot once they start wearing tudung.
Siapa rugi then? Melayu jugak. Maybe the only jobs suitable for tudung wearing female Melayus would be in the kitchen or lowly paid jobs like stewarding (basuh pinggan dengan periuk which is dominated by Banglas), laundry, chambermaids or tukang mop lantai.
My advice is very simple. If these people still want to work in hotels, try local hotels. Maybe they will allow hijab like DePalma or Seri Malaysia. Forget 5 star hotels. Just go to the wet toilet floor - eating with hands - berak cangkung dalam bath tub - kampung style hotels. They welcome village idiots.
Even Genting hotels or Berjaya Group Hotels or IGB Hotels do not allow tudung wearing front liners. Why single out international hotels?
Well we all know election is near but this trivial issue of tudung wearing is not going to take the country forward. Why get caught in a game invented by morons.
Please feel free to share my thoughts in your blog, if necessary. I would be honoured.
Thank you and wassalam.
I have been a regular visitor to your blog for many years already but this is the first time I am writing to you.
I have noted of the recent brouhaha over the tudung issue in our international 5 star hotels and would like to share my thoughts with you.
While I do not intend to be dragged into the argument of whether hijab is a compulsion or merely customary, I am more concerned about the negative impact that it may bring to the Malay Muslim employment prospect.
Our Tourism Minister Nazri is definitely talking faster than he can think by labelling these hotels impudent for imposing such ban. Little did he know that the backlash may be greater than he thought.
As it is, our younger Malays' proficiency in English is already at an alarming level and chances of them being recruited as a front liner is slowly diminishing by the day. Coupled with the influence of the ustazs (as well as the "cyber ustazs wannabes") where anything Arabic is deemed civilised and religiously acceptable, Arabic seems to be the preferred language for these people. This could be attributed to the fact that they want to hide their English language command deficiency.
Now these very people want to impose their preference on other people's business, which is not their bloody business in the first place.
When a person works in an international hotel, it has it's own dress code/uniform for each department. Housekeeping staff would not be wearing the same uniform as the front office staff. Likewise, even F&B staff uniforms may differ depending on their outlets i.e. coffee house, japanese, chinese, western, banquet or pub.
If the front office standard uniform is skirt and jacket (as in most hotels), wouldn't it look funny when some Melayus are spotted wearing tudung in a skirt and jacket? To make it funnier, imagine them wearing skin colour stockings/pantyhose to match the uniform. Pants are rarely chosen in hotel uniforms.
There is no way the hotel is going to change their uniform standard when it is already approved by their HQ and applied worldwide. Would they risk be a laughing stock by having a hijab wearing front office staff in a skirt?
Secondly, if the person is hijab wearing and attends an interview with an international hotel for a position in front office, what is the likelihood of her being recruited? I dare say zero percent. This is not discriminatory in my view, but merely due to unsuitability. And the cause of rejection may not necessarily be the hijab afterall but could be personality as well.
I know that some people may argue that Hilton, Le Meridien, Marriott or even Hyatt have presence in Makkah too but what the people may not be aware is that their front office staff are predominantly male. No female as front liners.
Our local international brand hotels may start practicing all male front liners too but what would the gender equality activists say then? It would be interesting to hear what they have to say when hotels stop recruiting female front office staff. Or if they have to do so, they will hire non-Muslims. No risk of them wearing tudung at all.
Now, what if the person is already recruited and suddenly decided to wear hijab? The hotel may be put in a catch 22 situation for sure, but if I am the General Manager of Head of HR, I would immediately issue a show cause to the person for failure to follow the uniform dress code. It is not that I am against a hijab wearing person but discipline has to be maintained. I don't want a situation where suddenly everyone turns up with all sort of tudung style i.e. Neelofa, bawal, Fareeda etc. It will be chaotic hahaha.
Now let's touch on the F&B staff. While majority may not be required to serve liquor, what if a hijab wearing waitress is required to serve liquor? Can she refuse by saying "Look Boss, I wear hijab and it is haram for me to serve liquor". Hotel guests come from all over the world and not only limited to the female jubah-wearing-Malay-Muslim Arab wannabes. Service standard would be severely affected by this refusal.
Ultimately, when the international hotels are compelled to allow hijab wearing front liners, they will just decide to stop hiring female Malays (tudung or otherwise). Those who are already in employment will be transferred to the back of the office to rot once they start wearing tudung.
Siapa rugi then? Melayu jugak. Maybe the only jobs suitable for tudung wearing female Melayus would be in the kitchen or lowly paid jobs like stewarding (basuh pinggan dengan periuk which is dominated by Banglas), laundry, chambermaids or tukang mop lantai.
My advice is very simple. If these people still want to work in hotels, try local hotels. Maybe they will allow hijab like DePalma or Seri Malaysia. Forget 5 star hotels. Just go to the wet toilet floor - eating with hands - berak cangkung dalam bath tub - kampung style hotels. They welcome village idiots.
Even Genting hotels or Berjaya Group Hotels or IGB Hotels do not allow tudung wearing front liners. Why single out international hotels?
Well we all know election is near but this trivial issue of tudung wearing is not going to take the country forward. Why get caught in a game invented by morons.
Please feel free to share my thoughts in your blog, if necessary. I would be honoured.
Thank you and wassalam.
My comments : Yes its Stupid Nazri again.
Thank you Khalil. A lengthy and well thought piece of writing. I am so happy to see that people do understand the issues much better than the Minister or the religious people.
What about Air Asia? Or Malaysia Airlines? Or Malindo?
The Air Asia girls wear those short skirts.
Yo brader, aku tahu-lah kau pun syiok usha minah baju ketat Air Asia.
What if one of them says, 'I want to wear tudung and jubah' ? What will Nazri say?
The tudung is not mentioned in the Quran. There is no such thing in the Quran.
The tudung always reminds me of Mother Theresa :
Mother Theresa in tudung
And of course Mother Theresa reminds me of the Bible:
1st Corinthians 11: 5-15 "For if a woman does not cover her head, she might as well have her hair cut off; but if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, then she should cover her head."
These are Orthodox Jewish women, wearing the niqab.
Engkau orang masih tak faham ke?
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