One of the things Singapore prides itself on is being a multi-racial and religious country.
Literally anywhere you go, you can see people from all walks of life on the island.
This is why when there’s a discussion involving race or religion, each topic must be treated sensitively.
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Masagos Says That Public Service Uniforms Must be Secular; Sensitive Topics Like Wearing Tudung Must be Discussed in Private
During his Budget debate speech on 24 Feb, Mr Faisal Manap, a Workers’ Party MP, brought up a rather sensitive issue.
Particularly, if the Government would review allowing Muslim women in uniformed services to wear their tudung or hijab.
He said that the rule, which currently disallowed it, greatly discouraged many Muslim women to join said industry.
In response, Mr Masagos Zulkifli, Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs, said on 8 March that such sensitive issues should be done in private.
This is not a new discussion and has been brought up over the years.
However, Mr Masagos says the governments’ policy about this was clear.
He said that with services that play a critical role in society, the uniform is a visible sign that the service is rendered equally regardless of race or religion.
He gave examples using nurses and police officers.
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Mr Masagos said he did not want patients to prefer or prefer not to be served by a Muslim person.
Similarly, he did not want the public to feel like security was being enforced by particularly a Muslim police officer.
“This is what makes the decision difficult and sensitive.”
Reasons For This Approach
Another point Mr Masagos made was the potential for religious issues to become polarising if the issue was pushed aggressively.
Dr Maliki Osman, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office and Second Minister for Education and Foreign Affairs, also shared the same sentiments.
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He said the government has been engaging with a variety of people on said topic.
These include union leaders, religious leaders and respected members of the Muslim community, sharing these concerns together.
Dr Maliki says a uniform helps protect the common identity and forge camaraderie.
In the case of healthcare workers, he feels it would help reinforce that they provide the service regardless of race or religion.
“This is a reminder to both the healthcare workers as well as the persons receiving their care.”
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Mr Masagos mentioned how Singapore Muslims have adapted in their religious practice over the years.
One example was the lowering of volumes of the call to prayer out of consideration for neighbours.
Dr Maliki also acknowledges Mr Faisal’s disagreement on the approach.
However, he said that the Government has support from religious scholars and leaders who understand and acknowledge these sensitive issues, and any decision made is not taken lightly.
He hopes such matters can be constructively discussed in private.
Featured Image: YouTube
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