Worker’s Party coming into the hijab discussion

 WP is calling for a national conversation on the hijab issue after the Malay community met up with Chee Hian and Yaacob. The conclusion on that meeting did not go down too well as nothing changes, not that there must be a change if the situation does not warrant it. While there could be or could not be a national conversation on this issue, or another one sided conversation initiated and led by the WP this round, I would like to draw a few premises that I think could be useful in this free for all talk shop.
 
There are two premises that we must strongly guard, ie our secular national ethos and our cultural heritage. In an attempt to deal with a matter like the hijab that could transcend religion and culture, it can be tricky and even sensitive to some. If we can keep the lines of secularity clearly in the picture, we may have to define how far we can and want to go before hitting the OB markers, things may be more manageable. We do not want to allow every other religion to want to have their religious ways in a secular society and environment. We do not want, as an example, a group that insists on wearing drappy grey and head shaven in the office, male or female. We do not want people who insist that they cannot shave nor cut their hair for both sexes. Let’s keep our society a secular one and let religion be practiced at home or in one’s private space. The common space should be kept secular.
 
We must be proud of our cultural heritage, the way of life of the 4 major racial groups that founded this island. We do not want to integrate and compromise our way of life with the new migrants. We are not migrants. Our forefathers were and that is their story. We are stayers. Migrants are temporary visitors that are here and may not be here tomorrow. Migrants have no homes or countries of their own or have abandoned them. This is our home. We are the owners and we decide and must dictate what we want our country to be and how we want to live. The visitors or migrants must accept our way of life.
 
We have so many new migrants coming in and with their huge numbers there will be a time when they would want to demand to be recognized, their religions, cultures and ways of life. Singaporeans, the first movers in this country must be the top priority and must call the shot. We decide. Foreigners, new citizens and migrants must accept our terms and not the other way. Don’t like it they can go elsewhere.
 
The hijab is also a cultural thing, part of the Malay custom and baju. Correct me if I am wrong. It should be addressed from this perspective, to protect and promote our cultural heritage. Promoting the use of the hijab on religious grounds will open the Pandora box for all and sundry to make their special and unique demands that would be difficult to accept and may not be tolerable.
 
The Singaporeans must keep our cultural heritage as a part of us. We must promote their use as our way of life. We do not want to be China Chinese, India Indian or Arabs. In the course of time, there could be things from the foreigners that are useful and good and would gradually take form. Let that be. We can be flexible to allow the good stuff to be a part of us without compulsion or legislation. Good stuff will be good stuff and will be welcomed and accepted by the populace. Let our unique identity survive and thrive on its own without being pressurized or being harrassed by foreigners and foreign influences.
 
We are Singaporeans. This is our home. Let’s talk hijab.