You cannot judge a woman by her tudung. Similarly, a durian looks lethal, and stinks; but when you prise open the thorny exterior, the pale yellow, creamy flesh is heavenly.

The tudung. A fabric, cut from cotton, silk or synthetic fibre, serves as a scarf, except for the purists of religion, who want every strand of hair to be covered.

Today, in Malaysia, the tudung is no longer a piece of cloth. It has become a symbol of morality.

Would you say that a person who wears the tudung is more religious than one who does not?

Would you equate the tudung with morals? Some conservative Muslims appear to think so.

Why did some Muslims become livid when the tudung were sold in a nightclub? Did they think good girls should not be in "bad" places, like nightclubs?

When you think about it, in the years before the tudung was made a fashion statement by enterprising celebrities, it was sold in Jalan Chow Kit, just a stone's throw from the back streets where ladies of the night, transgenders, pimps and drug pushers ply their trades.

From an ordinary garment to a morality meter

Today, the tudung has been elevated from an ordinary garment to a morality meter.

On Feb 26, celebrity, actress and TV presenter, Noor Neelofa Mohd Noor (photo), clashed with Muslim conservatives, when she launched her latest range of tudungs in Zouk, one of Kuala Lumpur's trendiest nightclubs.

Her range sold out within minutes. These tudung were not cheap and she made another business killing. She should be commended on her creative choice of venue and her business acumen...