Unisex Salons & Barbershops To Remain Illegal In Terengganu
Salons and barbershops that break this gender-segregating licensing regulation will be subject to fines between RM500 and RM1,000.
By Wayne Garreth — 13 Jan 2023, 11:50 AM
The Terengganu government is sticking to a ban on unisex salons throughout the state
In a report by New Straits Times (NST), it was revealed that the repercussion for operators who flout the gender-segregation licensing regulation will incur a fine of anywhere between RM500 and RM1,000.
The state executive councillor for Terengganu and person in charge of the state's Housing and Local Government Committee, Datuk Dr Alias Razak, warned that operators who go against this ban may even risk having their licence revoked altogether.
"There are no exemptions for hair salons or barbershops that are operated by non-Muslims. This is because if we were to allow non-Muslim female hairdressers to provide haircuts for male customers, there is a possibility that Muslim men will go and patronise them too," he said.
Terengganu's head of Housing and Local Government Committee, Datuk Dr Alias Razak.
Image via MalaysiakiniNonetheless, Dr Alias stated that this was not the implementation of a new rule, but was an existing licensing regulation under the jurisdiction of the state government
During a debate session of the state assembly that took place in November 2022, assemblyman Zuraida Md Noor stressed that barbershops for men should be run by men and hairdressing salons for women must only be run by women.
She clarified that stern action will be taken to ensure barbershops and spas in the state comply and adhere to Syariah requirements and gender-segregation regulations.
Adding to that, she questioned the extent to which such regulations were being adhered, sharing that she has received complaints by local people who expressed their concern over men and women being in the same premises.
