Anwar’s lawyer offers to help hair salon

Sankara Nair believes the by-law is unconstitutional and is willing to challenge it.

Alyaa Azhar, FMT

A lawyer who was involved in Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim’s sodomy trials is now offering himself to challenge the Kota Baru Municipal Council’s by-law, which prohibits a female to cut a man’s hair and vice-versa.

Sankara Nair said he was willing to take up the case as “I believe the by-law is clearly unconstitutional”.

Last week, E-Life Salon, a hair dressing salon based in Kota Baru, was issued a fine by the Kota Baru Municipal Council when one of its female hairdressers “was caught cutting” the hair of a male client.

Actions of the municipal council have come under fire from several quarters including non-governmental organisations and the MCA. MCA has long argued that hudud imposed by the PAS-led Kelantan government would affect non-Muslims.

“The Kota Baru Municipal Council’s by-law is clearly unconstitutional because it takes away the freedom of non-Muslims. I am willing to pursue this case pro bono,” he told FMT.

“The issue is abominable and PAS should keep to its words; it should not impose such rulings on non-Muslims,” he said.

He hoped the owner of the hair salon involved would contact him as he is willing to work with the owner to challenge the by-law.

Sankara shot to prominence by being one of the leading spokesmen during the two sodomy trials Anwar faced. The first was in 1999 while the second was early this year.