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Terengganu lawmakers in Malaysia are concerned that men and women are intermingling while getting their hair done and is making it known that the ban on unisex hair salons in the state still stands.

Gender-segregation licensing regulation, to keep males and females separate, must be adhered to moving forward, New Straits Times reported, citing local news from the state.

Or else, operators can be fined between RM500 (S$154) and RM1,000 (S$308) for flouting the rule.

They also risk having their licences revoked.

"Hair salons or barbershops, whether operated by Muslims or non-Muslims, are not allowed to provide haircut services for both men and women in the same premises," state executive councillor Alias Razak was reported as saying by a local news portal.

The Terengganu state, located on the northeast of peninsular Malaysia, has a reputation of being socially conservative.

Gender segregation rule around for a while

The gender segregation rule has been around for a while.

Alias, who is in charge of the state Housing and Local Government Committee, added that the rule is not new, but an existing licensing regulation under the jurisdiction of the state government.

It will apply to Muslim and non-Muslim-owned establishments.

He explained: "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."

Issue raised by lawmaker recently

This issue cropped up recently after it was raised publicly among lawmakers in the state.

During a debate session of the state assembly sitting on Nov. 29, assemblywoman Zuraida Md Noor said she had received complaints from locals who expressed their concerns on men and women being in the same premises.

She stressed that barbershops for men should be run by men and hairdressing salons for women must only be run by women.

She had sought for stern action to be taken to ensure that barbershops and spas in the state comply and adhere to Syariah requirements and gender-segregation regulations.

She had also questioned the extent to which such regulations were adhered.

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