Hair salon operators react to Kelantan's gender-segregation regulation

[hokkien]

Sunday, Nov 25, 2012
PETALING JAYA - Hairdressers here are aghast at Kelantan's gender-segregation regulations for hair salons in the state while another Kelantan-based salon operator has decided to move his business to Johor.

The salon operator apparently is moving to Johor to set up business, after the local authority in Kelantan started to apply gender-segregation rules to non-Muslims.

Describing the ruling forbidding female stylists to cut non-Muslim male customers' hair as "ridiculous", Malaysian Hairdressing Association (MHA) president Billy Lim said that it would adversely affect the industry and would eventually cause the salons to shut down.

It was reported that hair salon operators in the PAS-ruled state were being fined by the state government for breaching municipal council by-laws which prohibit a woman from cutting the hair of a man and vice versa.

"This is an industry that caters to both genders, and obviously there isn't an equal number of male and female workers in each salon. The salons will not be able to survive if each worker is only allowed to cut the hair of customers of the same gender," he said.

He added that the association has been seeking legal advice on behalf of the salons in Kelantan and was ready to provide help if needed.

A Cut Above founder and creative director Winnie Loo said that the ruling was "jurassic and a hindrance to the industry from moving forward".

"What is so wrong about allowing customers to choose who they want to do their hair, regardless of their gender?" she said.

In Penang, state Wanita MCA chairman Tan Cheng Liang said the gender-segregation at hair salons in Kota Baru was outrageous and caused unjust income loss to non-Muslims.

She said the summonses issued by council to non-Muslim female hair salon owners have once again proven that the MCA was right in sounding the alarm that PAS' policies would affect non-Muslims.

"The hairdressers' case is just another example as to how PAS policies causes unjust income loss to non-Muslim entrepreneurs trying to earn an honest living," Tan said in a statement yesterday.

Gerakan deputy Youth chief Oh Tong Keong urged the DAP to stop fooling itself by claiming that hudud law would not be applied on non-Muslims and therefore has no impact on non-Muslims.

 

[hokkien]

Sunday, Nov 25, 2012
GEORGE TOWN - The DAP is worried that hudud law will be extended to non-Muslims, with the latest controversy involving hair salon operators in PAS-led Kelantan.

Its chairman Karpal Singh said he was surprised that Kelantan decided to enforce a ruling prohibiting non-Muslim women from cutting the hair of men and vice versa.

"The Kelantan Government has publicly declared that Islamic laws will not be extended to non-Muslims. PAS has also stated that hudud will only be applied to Muslims.

"There's a lot of concern among the public on what has just happened in Kelantan. If hudud is allowed, they will come to be extended to non-Muslims," he told a press conference yesterday.

Karpal, who is the Bukit Gelugor MP, said the municipal council ruling was unconstitutional.

"In fact, it should be challenged in court. Those concerned should not pay the fines imposed. It is unlawful.

"The municipal council in Kelantan is collecting fines on the basis of an unlawful law.

"I hope that the PAS leadership will intervene on this matter and do something about it as soon as possible," he said.

Karpal said Barisan Nasional should not be presented with issues that could be exploited with the general election looming, likening the law relating to hairdressers as an "unkind cut".

On the upcoming two-day DAP national conference from Dec 15, he said 66 party members had been nominated for 20 positions in the central executive committee.

 

[hokkien]

Monday, Nov 26, 2012
JOHOR BARU: A brother of Kota Baru hairstylist Alice Ong Lee Ruong, who claims to have been issued summonses for cutting women's hair, said he decided to relocate here as there is no ruling that bars him from cutting women's hair.

"When I was working in Kota Baru, I would receive two summonses a week," he said.

"After four years of dealing with the problem, I finally had enough," added Andres Ong Lee Ting.

"A former colleague in Kelantan moved here and told me it was much better.

"There is no such ruling in Johor," said the 22-year-old.

Andres added that he packed his bags, left Kelantan and found a job at a salon in Taman Desa Tebrau here in June.

His sister, who owns the Nice Hair Salon in KB Mall, is among several complainants who had voiced their unhappiness over a Kota Baru Municipal Council ruling that prohibits women from cutting the hair of men, and vice-versa.

Andres said the ruling hampered his creativity.

"It is unfair to not only hairstylists, like myself, but also to our customers," he said here yesterday.

"I am relieved to be working in Johor Baru.

"Here, I can style and experiment with both male and female customers and improve my hairdressing skills," Andres added.

 

[hokkien]

The Star/Asia News Network
Tuesday, Nov 27, 2012
PETALING JAYA - The MCA has advised hair salon operators affected by the Kota Baru Municipal Council by-law not to pay their summonses.

"MCA is willing to provide legal assistance to help these owners challenge the council in court," said party president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek, stressing MCA's belief in multi-racial acceptance and tolerance.

"It is because of these fundamental basics that we have very good racial and religious harmony. And this is why we reject PAS' extremism," he said in his speech at the Petaling Business and Industry Association 41st anniversary and fund-raising dinner on Sunday.

Dr Chua also urged the Kelantan government to focus its attention on more serious issues in the state, such as the problems relating to poverty, drug abuse and the high divorce rate.

"I hope this latest action by the Kota Baru municipality should alert the Chinese of more to come if PAS comes into power," said Dr Chua, adding that while the MCA accepted Islam as the country's official religion, it could not accept PAS' agenda which was "politicised".

Meanwhile, MCA deputy president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai described the by-law as a "backward policy", which was against the Federal Constitution.

"This will only happen in a state ruled by Pakatan Rakyat and I hope that the rakyat realise that such ruling will impact both Muslims and non-Muslims," he said, urging the public to choose wisely in the general election.

In George Town, Penang Wanita MCA chief Tan Cheng Liang said DAP's claim that hudud would not have any bearing on non-Muslims was clearly not true.

It was also impossible, she added, to carry out any unsavoury activity in hair salons as alleged by the Kelantan government because most premises had transparent windows, allowing outsiders to look in.

"We cannot say that just because it is happening in Kelantan, Penangites are safe because hudud will be implemented on non-Muslims should PAS and Pakatan take over the Federal Government," she said.

"This is a serious matter that will have consequences on our future generation."

 

[hokkien]

Wednesday, Nov 28, 2012
ALOR SETAR - Hair salons here cannot use the word "unisex" on their business signboards as it is "a sensitive word", a city councillor said.

"This has been clearly stated by the Alor Setar City Council," Chinese daily Kwong Wah Yit Poh quoted councillor Chow Hooi Pin as saying.

He said that signboards with words like "hair salon" or "hair specialist" could be displayed at their premises.

"However, there is no prohibition on women cutting the hair of male customers and vice versa."

The daily reported that some politicians were of the view that PAS, which rules the Kedah Government, might lose the support of non-Muslim voters if it adopted similar policies enforced in Kelantan on the issue.

Kedah Gerakan Youth chief Tan Keng Liang said he was not surprised at the new ruling.

"PAS' extreme policies will ultimately affect non-Muslims in Kedah," he said.

"What's happening in Kelantan will slowly affect states which are also under PAS.

"PAS has always claimed that hudud will not affect non-Muslims but this is misleading based on what's happening in Kelantan."