Change The School Uniform

This was the suggestion by PMIUM (Persatuan Mahasiswa Islam Universiti Malaya). It was a follow-up by a statement from Munirah binti Bahari, Vice President Hewi, Persatuan Kebangsaan Pelajar Islam Malaysia (PKPIM). Her suggestion to Ministry of Education: "........bagi mengelakkan jenayah seksual dan penzinaan yang mungkin berlaku berikutan baju seragam sedia ada yang berwarna putih adalah jarang atau dalam bahasa Inggerisnya disebut 'transparent.' She suggested that the white school uniform be changed to coloured uniform.

Its a pro and cons. Many will argue that why when a girl fall victim to a male, its always the female is to be accused. Many too point fingers at the way the female dress. No doubt a sexily dressed women will make head turns in most men. Men are men. But not every man on the street is a molester or a raper. So, do dress is the main culprit of sexual crimes among women? To me dress is just part of the whole set up. Men too must be blame because he might has a sick mind to go beyond feasting his eyes.

As a Muslim I am not arguing about the aurat of women who must cover her whole body but the palm and face and men what is between his navel and the knee. "Sesungguhnya sebilangan daripada ahli neraka ialah perempuan-perempuan yang berpakaian, tetapi bertelanjang yang condong kepada maksiat dan menarik orang lain untuk melakukan maksiat. Mereka tidak akan masuk syurga dan tidak akan mencium baunya." Riwayat Bukhari dan Muslim.

The school uniform in Malaysia has been in effect since late 60s (if I am not mistaken). Boys are encouraged to wear long pants while girls can choose either navy blue pinafore over white shirt or white baju kurung (a long tunic that covers the arms) over long navy blue skirt. When awareness of Islam catch up with Muslim girls, they start wearing the white tudung. They look very decent and fulfill the needs of Muslim womens dressing code that is to cover the aurat. There are however still a few who did not wear the tudung and hence exposed the white baju kurung and some whose baju kurung is a bit translucent or transparent, the bra line beneath can be seen. This is what I think that provoke the sexiness in the uniform. Are the girls to be blamed?

What about the role of parents in the first place and the teachers secondly to stop this?. Where is their obligation to advice their daughters to wear a thicker more opaque baju kurung? A baju kurung for once does not show the figure of the wearer. If the girl cover up with a tudung then the bra line can be concealed and does this still seen as sexy? Why not educate and advise the girls not to purposely expose what is under their baju kurung. If the baju kurung is translucent, why not ask them to wear a female singlet underneath?

I think to change the school uniform is a bit drastic these days when there are still ways to overcome. Would it be much better to educate the Muslim girls (and non Muslims) on the proper dressing etiquette as laid out by Islam and not because of a mosquito, the whole mosquito net is burnt.

Sexual harassment and sexual crime is not the fault of the women alone. Men too has to be blamed. One at times cannot clap with just one hand.