Nee Soon GRC MP Lee Bee Wah recently filed parliamentary questions regarding minors and tattoos.

Responding to her queries, Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam said in Parliament on July 8 that the ministry did not see a need to regulate the tattoo industry for now as there has been no evidence to suggest that body tattoos lead individuals to a life of crime.

While that may be true, people with tattoos still face prejudice in our society.

We may have passed the era when tattoos were associated with secret societies and gangs, but people with such body art are often considered defiant, anti-social, living on the fringe of society or anti-establishment.

If tattoos are nothing more than body art, we should ask ourselves: Are we ready to accept teachers, nurses, doctors, soldiers and police officers who openly display their "body art" when they are on duty? Are employers ready to hire those with tattoos if they have the right capabilities and qualifications?

In the US, it is common to see police officers and soldiers in uniform displaying their tattoos.

But we are still a largely conservative society and many Singaporeans would see such displays as not projecting the "right" values or image.

Ms Lee raised a valid point on the need for minors to get consent from parents before getting a tattoo, an indulgence that they may regret when they are adults.

Seah Yam Meng