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Introduction
In the Malaysian religious and cultural diversity, hijab (dress code for Muslim women) represents an active indicator of identity, and is also seen as both a matter of style and religious observance. Malaysia is a multicultural, multilingual and multi-religious country, where different groups and communities live and maintain their separate identities. This multi-ethnic attribute of Malaysia makes it unique globally and specifically in Asia (Mokhlis, 2006). Malaysia thus can be viewed as a microcosm of Asia (Leete, 1996), with the three largest communities in its heterogeneous population, namely, Malays, Chinese and Indians, representing samples of Asia’s three most populous populations – Indonesia, China and India.
Malays are differentiated by their religion (Islam) from the other two major Malaysian ethnic groups (Hussein, 2012); the Chinese and the Indians are basically migrants who were brought to Malaysia by British rulers to serve their economic interests (Malaklolunthu, 2010). Owing to the cultural differences that exist in the origins of different communities, there is a noticeable absence of homogeneity in the behavior of consumers in Malaysia, where the nature of its domestic market is highly characterized by the “ethnically segmented consumer markets” (Mohd Salleh et al., 1998, p. 481). Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus and Christians, who make up 95 per cent of the total population, have gradually become the most prominent consumer segments in Malaysia that determine some specific lifestyle and consumption habits.
Essentially, the hijab is an act of worship for Malay Muslim women and a religious choice made in pursuit of divine satisfaction. However, fashion trends have gradually affected the Muslim perception toward the hijab. A Muslim woman can actually observe the Islamic law on dress code while enjoying hijab fashion trends (Mulali, 2009).With an expanding global, Islamic fashion industry, the hijab has adopted many fashions, trends, labels, brands and styles. Essentially, the hijab was never meant to be a statement of fashion but rather an act of obedience, as distinctly defined in the Qur’an and Sunnah (Gökarıksel and Secor, 2009). Allah has clearly defined the meaning, and as time goes by, it does not meet the new trends of society (Latiff and Alam, 2013).
Is the hijab a matter of dress fashion or should it remain as a pure religious observance, rather a resulting effect...