By G VinodKUALA LUMPUR: A private hospital here has barred its Muslim staff from wearing the “baju Melayu” on Fridays, claimed a letter posted on the Perkasa website.
The letter writer, Muhammad Ibrahim from Batu Caves, also alleged that those who flouted the rule were berated in public by the Sentosa Medical Centre's “Indian” management.
The medical centre is owned by the Johor Medical Group (KPJ).
Describing the rule as inconsiderate, Muhammad said it did not make sense that the Malays, although being the natives of this land, were disallowed from wearing their traditional attire.
“It is not only humiliating, but also insensitive. Are we still under colonial rule? How will they (the Indians) feel if they are disallowed from wearing their traditional dress? Surely there will be mass demonstrations then,” read the letter, which was published today.
Muhammad said it was issues like these which derailed Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's dream of seeing a united Malaysia under his 1Malaysia concept.
“I hope KPJ will probe this matter seriously because if left unresolved, it may cause racial unrest, especially among the Malays who have been very accommodating of the non-Malays,” he added.
Perkasa warns of protest
Meanwhile, Perkasa Youth chief Arman Azha Abu Hanifah urged the Health Ministry and the police to investigate the matter.
If the allegations were true, he said that the medical centre did not respect the rights of Muslims in the country.
“We will also conduct our own investigation. If the allegations are true, we will not hesitate to stage a demonstration against the hospital.
“We will also raise the matter with the health minister (Liow Tiong Lai) and the prime minister,” he told FMT.
Apart from disrespecting Muslims and Islam as the official religion, Arman said if the allegations were true, it would also constitute a “betrayal of an individual's right (to wear traditional outfits)”.
Contacted later, a staff at the medical centre said that those authorised to speak to the media would only be available for comment on Thursday.
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