Online hijab petition draws ire of MP Zaqy Mohamad

Online hijab petition draws ire of MP Zaqy Mohamad

The petition was posted by an anonymous person on Oct 12 on online campaigning site avaaz.org.It aimed to garner 20,000 signatures, but received only 12,405 before being taken down recently.


Get the full story from The Straits Times.

Here is Choa Chu Kang MP Zaqy Mohamah's Facebook post: 

"Recent articles by The New Paper and Berita Harian on "astro-turfing" featured an online petition on wearing the hijab in public workspaces, quoting expert sources in their articles. It is unfortunate that the petition is now withdrawn under the spotlight. The initiator has not identified himself or herself. So no one knows who initiated it, or whether the response is real.

"I do understand the concerns raised on the hijab issue. But fake exercises in astro-turfing is not the way to engage on public issues or develop active citizenry.

"There are many legitimate avenues for the public to engage the Government and express their views.

"Ministers and MPs hold numerous discussions with different groups and are prepared to listen.

"Just last year, Suara Musyawarah (SM) canvassed views of the Malay/Muslim community extensively. Its report will help to guide the Government and community as we work together on problems.

"The hijab discussion is not new and has been ongoing. We should tackle such concerns in constructive ways, just as we have done in the past.

"We urge the community to work with us to find the best way forward on such issues within our multiracial context."

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