BN lawmaker Bung Moktar Radin says a woman’s beauty not defined by whether or not she covers her head. — AFP pic

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 20 — A woman’s beauty is not defined by whether or not she covers her head, a Barisan Nasional (BN) lawmaker said in Parliament today amid an ongoing controversy over wearing headscarves at work.

Kinabatangan MP Bung Moktar Radin said the tudung or headscarf neither subtracts a woman’s attractiveness or otherwise.

“What is the problem in wearing a tudung? If she is a beautiful woman, even if she wears a tudung, she would still be beautiful.

“If she is not pretty, even if she nude, who would want her?” he said in the Dewan Rakyat.

Bung Moktar then named several PAS lawmakers present and claimed that even they would agree with him on this matter.

The ‘tudung’ controversy arose after the Malaysian Labour Centre of the Union Network International said hotel employees have complained about discrimination against Muslim front desk workers who were told to remove their headscarves.

The Malaysian Association of Hotels responded by saying the practice locally was due to the standards held by some international chain operators.