Mohamad Ibrahim Nordin
KUCHING: Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) Sarawak president Mohamad Ibrahim Nordin said discrimination against hotel staff in the state is non-existent.
According to him, hotel operators in the state never reprimanded female Muslim staff for wearing the headscarf as there is no policy against doing so.
Moreover, it was up to the workers’ own discretion if they want to wear a headscarf during working hours, he pointed out.
“Based on my understanding, the hotel sector in the state does not face any issue over this ban on wearing headscarves or any other issue involving discrimination of workers,” said Mohamad Ibrahim, adding that banning the use of headscarves goes against the state’s various cultures, religions and traditions.
MAH Sarawak currently has 82 members and seven five-star hotels, eight four-star hotels. The rest consists of those rated between three and one-star, he revealed.
Mohamad Ibrahim was reacting to a comment by Human Resources Minister Dato Sri Richard Riot Jaem that the Labour Act 1955 will be amended to overcome discrimination at the work place following issues surrounding the ban of headscarves in the hotel sector.