The National Police have officially issued a decree allowing female police officers to wear the Islamic headscarf, or hijab, with their uniforms. “On Wednesday, March 25, a National Police chief decree was issued that was signed by acting police chief Comr. Gen. Badrodin Haiti. The decree describes the changes to the 2005 decree on police uniforms, adding regulations on official female wear for those who want to wear the hijab”, National Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Rikwanto said on Thursday. The recently issued decree proscribes that a female officer who wishes to wear the hijab must use a plain one with no emblems. The hijab must be tucked into her shirt and should not get in the way of any headwear, including berets and helmets. The decree also includes specifications that policewomen in the Mobile Brigade (Brimob) must wear brown hijab, while those in the detective unit or the intelligence unit must match the color of their hijab to their pants. Rikwanto explained that the police force would use Rp 600 million (US$46,273) out of its annual budget to provide each policewoman who requested it with two headscarves. The National Police currently have around 20,000 policewomen, representing only 5 percent of the force’s 400,000 personnel.

An Acehnese female police officer wear a hijab on duty in the street in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, 27 March 2015. Indonesia National Police officially issued a regulation allowing female police officer to wear the Islamic hijab (heads craft) as a part of their uniform. Indonesia is the biggest Muslim population in the world. (Photo by Hotli Simanjuntak/EPA)

An Acehnese female police officer wear a hijab on duty in the street in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, 27 March 2015. (Photo by Hotli Simanjuntak/EPA)

An Acehnese female police officer wear a hijab on duty in the street in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, 27 March 2015. (Photo by Hotli Simanjuntak/EPA)