Could this be similar to French Muslim women asking to be allowed to wear the burqa in public?
Malaysia’s Sikh community is asking the Education Ministry to direct all schools to allow male Sikh students to sport beards.
According to Jagir Singh, president of the Malaysian Gurdwaras Council, his organisation has been lobbying the issue with the ministry since 2011.
“We wrote to the Prime Minister’s Office in February of that year and appealed for our boys to be allowed to wear a turban, the steel bangle or kara and to keep their facial hair as required by our religion,” he told The Star Online yesterday.
“A circular was issued by the ministry the following month to all schools but it had overlooked the part about the facial hair.”
Recent incidents in Wangsa Maju, Muar, and Seremban have seen Sikh students being given ultimatums by their schools: shave their facial hair or be disciplined, up to the threat of expulsion.
The situation isn’t as dire across the board, however. Sikh inductees to the National Service programme are allowed to have beards, as all NS camps have been given explicit directives to allow the religious practice.
“We cannot be acting on this on an ad hoc basis. We cannot be going to schools and explaining this to the heads all the time,” Jagir said.
Education director-general Datuk Seri Dr Khair Mohamad Yusof said: “We will look into this and issue a directive soon. In the meantime, schools can always check with us and we would allow it.”
Wouldn’t a mass e-mail be way easier?
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