The ruling on Islamic dress code for non-Muslim women in the private sector in Terengganu was made after the Pas State Government consulted non-Muslim religious leaders.
Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang said today the dress code was a "morality issue" which was relevant to both Muslims and non-Muslims.
He said any ruling that affected non-Muslims would be made after the State Government had obtained the views of non-Muslims.
"We had before asked non-Muslims whether gambling was forbidden in their religion and they said ‘yes', so we banned gambling. But when we asked the non-Muslims whether liquor was forbidden in their religion, some of them said it was allowed, so we still allow liquor in the State," he said at a dialogue with 15 local and foreign journalists on Pas' Islamic State document at the Century Paradise Club in Taman Melawati near here.
The dialogue was part of the party's nationwide road show to explain the document.
Hadi, who is Pas president, said he stood by the Kuala Terengganu Municipal Council's decision to ban non-Muslim women from wearing what it has specified to be indecent attire during office hours.
He said the ruling was a "general" rule, and all technical details would be finalised later.
"With clothes, we have a general policy, Muslims are required to tutup aurat while non-Muslims must wear modest clothes." Yesterday, Ladang State Assemblyman Dr Sulaiman Abdullah issued a statement on the Islamic dress code to which non-Muslim women in the private sector must adhere.
Sulaiman, who is also council president, said they were not allowed to wear short-sleeved blouses, tightfitting jeans, long skirts with slits, miniskirts as well as figure-hugging or revealing dresses.