WOODLANDS IMMIGRATION CHECKPOINT (Barring of Muslim women from wearing headscarfs during working hours)

Mr Chiam See Tong asked the Minister for Home Affairs whether he will modify a directive issued in November 1989 by the Head, Woodlands Checkpoint, Immigration Department barring Muslim women from wearing headscarfs during their hours of work.

Prof. Jayakumar: Mr Speaker, Sir, first, let me inform the Member that no women in the Immigration Department, or any department for that matter, are prohibited from wearing headscarfs as such. They are free to do so.

But for the staff whose jobs require them to be in uniform, they must follow standing instructions in the civil service which require them to wear uniform while on duty and not to modify uniforms issued to them. All Government departments, including Immigration Department, have been asked to draw the attention of their officers to this instruction. The directive referred to by the Member is in compliance with these established civil service requirements and there is no reason for the Minister to interfere.

Mr Chiam See Tong: Sir, I am sure that the Minister is aware that Sikhs, because of their religion, are allowed to wear turbans when they are in uniform. So why not Muslim women who are required by their religion to have a headscarf wear some form of headscarf? I would ask the Minister whether he would give a direction or standing instruction to modify the uniform of the Customs Department so that women in that Department can use headscarfs as part of their uniform.

Prof. Jayakumar: Sir, first, as an aside, although the Ministry of Home Affairs is responsible for many things, Customs does not come under the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Sir, let me state the Government's position. The Government cannot, and will not, interfere with a person's religious preferences in respect of his own personal life and private habits, such as food or dress attire, so long as these do not offend public decency and morality. But they cannot insist that such personal preferences be imposed on others or on Government in order to change established norms that are observed outside of the sphere of one's private life.

The practice of allowing Sikhs to wear turbans is a carry-over from the British days. In the 25 years since Independence, no religious group has had any problems with Government's uniform regulations. The Government cannot agree if any individuals or groups should insist that because of a change in their religious practice, rules and norms which have been established for decades since colonial times should be upset.