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KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 31 — Malaysian carriers will have to comply with an Indonesian province’s move to require Muslim female flight attendants to wear a “tudung” (headscarf) upon arrival, the National Union of Flight Attendants Malaysia (Nufam) suggested today.
However, Nufam president Ismail Nasaruddin said he did not think it would be an issue for AirAsia cabin crew to do so or to wear more modest uniforms to suit.
He noted the budget carrier’s flight attendants on its charter flights already wear trousers instead of skirts, while AirAsia X follows similar rules on its hajj (pilgrimage) flights to Saudi Arabia.
“Covering up with hijab in this sense, for local regulations, you have to follow. So there’s no two ways about it. Otherwise you can’t land,” Ismail told Malay Mail.
International newswire AFP reported an Indonesian government official as saying that the new regulation on headscarves would be disseminated to airlines this week. AirAsia flies to Aceh provincial capital, Banda Aceh.
Aceh — a province on the island of Sumatra — practises Shariah law and Muslim women there are required to wear the tudung.
On whether Muslim women flight attendants in Malaysia should be allowed to wear a headscarf, Ismail pointed out that it did not make sense for cabin crew to do so while serving alcohol.
However, he stressed that he was not calling for a ban on serving alcohol in-flight.
“Let’s not just impose something for the sake of imposing it,” he said.
Source : http://m.themalaymailonline.com/…/nufam-local-airlines-must…
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