DIGITAL news channel Astro Awani has come under fire from viewers-turn- moral police who were infuriated with the station’s seemingly lax dress code.
This came about after a guest in C4 Centre’s environmental research officer Nabila Syuhada Zulkeflee who appeared on its recent Dialog Anak Muda programme was not only ticked off for her “half-exposed” tudung but also pierced ears, eyebrows and black varnish fingernails.
The ensuing furore eventually stole the limelight from the global warming topic that the Environmental Technology degree holder from Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) and three other panellists were deliberating.
“Astro Awani, please be a bit more discerning about the image of youngsters you feature on TV,” decried one Hani Ahmad with Nurul Najwa Che Roslan stressing the need for one’s appearance to align with one’s profession.
“You (Nabila) intended to educate others yet you’ve piercings all over, wore your tudung loosely and look disheveled,” counselled the plant pathologist.
“Your appearance is already a letdown. You can’t serve as a role model for others, especially the younger generation. You need to re-learn the proper dressing etiquette.”
Pious history lover and content creator Abu Najmi Al-Muzzammil urged the environmentalist to wear her tudung properly “for it’s meant to cover your aurat, not just your hair” while fellow male commenter Syeriiqbal Mustapha berated that “more and more Muslim women are wearing headscarves like id*ots”.
Editor’s Note: In Islam, the entire female body is deemed as aurat or bodily parts that must be covered to maintain modesty, dignity and privacy. However, most Muslim scholars state that the face and hands (up to the wrists) may remain uncovered.
Stop being busy bodies or justified?
One Nur Nabila Mohd Nazri apologised to Nabila that she was “distracted by (piercings on) your ears 😌” with observant Mirni Abd added, “also on the forehead (eyebrows)”.
“I feel like helping to pin her tudung neatly so she looks professional and tidy,” lamented Faraheeda Sofia Mohamed.
One Fadzila Imam wondered if this could be the case of one who was not properly taught the correct way to wear a tudung from her childhood days.
“We’re taught to cover our hair, ears and neck, and to let the fabric drape below the chest; for a nicer look, we’d let it hang a bit lower over the shoulders,” recounted the Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) graduate.
“I suppose not everyone was taught that way though. But now that we’re adults, we should know the difference between what’s proper and what’s sinful.”
There are many more interesting feedback which solely ‘attacked’ Nabila’s dressing in the Facebook Reel post which attracted 1.1K likes, 2.3K comments and 373 shares at the time of writing.
This sorry state was aptly summed up by Threader Izmie (@izmieunifi):
“With ear and eyebrow piercings and black nails … what kind of style is that? It doesn’t suit the occasion at all … I instantly lost interest in hearing about global warming; seeing her just makes me see red instead 😓”
These were among the comments from netizens regarding the article, most of whom questioned the woman’s choice of hijab style that exposed her ears … 🤷🏻✌🏻 – Sept 27, 2026
