Operator of Perlis’ ‘Muslims-only’ launderette changes strategy after mufti’s advice

Continuing from the previous article, this deals with another laundromat (this own only 2 months old) in Malaysia, owned by a man who goes by the name Shalihuddin. Also within the article is an update to the previous situation (of which more details can be found here: https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2017/09/284653/updated-owner-controve...). Basically after the Sultan of Johor called the sign discriminatory and against the idea of Johor as a modern, moderate, and progressive state, the owner thought it was best to remove the sign. The article also notes fewer customers today, though a fair bit of that probably has to do with bad press as well.

This situation plays differently than the Maur one. Shalihuddin did not do this because he had read an article on Islamic cleanliness and heard a Muslim scholar talk about the need to help out fellow Muslims. For him, it was always a "market strategy". Thus, while in Maur, there was a religious concern that translated well into a business strategy, in Perlis this a market strategy based on religion. Shalihuddin claims "he had wanted to offer a niche service so that Muslim consumers could do their laundry without having any doubts on its cleanliness" to beat out the other competing laundromats. However, after the previous controversy and raised awareness on this type of discrimination, people reached out to the owner and connected him with the state mufti who explained that such a thing was not allowed by Islam.

This article only goes to show the growing interest in Malaysia about their religion, state, and economy. The different authorities that reach out, even when the situation is contained to a few laundromats, in order to upheld their ideal of the Malaysian state and a Malaysian Islam (not the kind the Taliban has as mentioned by the Sultan of Johor) can be seen.