The Tudung Issue and the PKMS

I believe what one must understand about the whole Tudung issue and religious beliefs in general is that some religious people will stand up for what they believe, no matter what other people or the government says. And they will do so with conviction and sometimes stubbornness (which is not necessarily a bad thing).

To say that the Singapore Malay National Organisation (PKMS) and the family involved in this latest Tudung controversy are merely trying to stir up controversy does no good. To judge the motives of the family as seeking cheap thrills or free publicity is to totally misunderstand what these people are trying to do. The fact that Singapore has gone through such a controversy before does not mean it need not look hard at it again. Some things in life go deeper than merely the want of fame, glory or publicity. Let’s stick to the issues and not go on judging their motives because we truly do not know them. And let us not dismiss what these people have to say.

I admire their perseverance and the fact that they are willing to stand up for what they believe. If they feel something unjust, and I believe they do, then it’s right for them to stand up for what they feel is right. Let us be thankful that they did not choose to bring forth their grievances in a violent way. And may we not be so closed off to Muslim or other religious concerns that one day, like what is happening in the rest of the world, the only way to let oneself be heard is through violence.