MAHB apologises to man in pink shorts

Short affair: What Ng wore when he was barred from entry at KLIA. Taken from placesandfoods.com.

PETALING JAYA: A man, who was barred from entering the Lost and Found baggage area at the KL International Airport because he was wearing knee-length pink shorts and sandals, has received an apology.

“We would like to extend our sincerest apologies to Mr Ng for any inconvenience caused during the incident,” Malaysian Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) said in a statement.

MAHB added that it had investigated the matter and found it was due to miscommunication on the implementation of the visitor pass issuance policy at the airport.

“First and foremost, the dress code applies to the public requesting for visitor passes to enter the terminal for any official visit or work purpose.

“However, the dress code does not apply to passengers passing through our airports.

“In this case, we regret that the confusion on the dress code requirement arose as a result of Mr Ng applying for a visitor pass to re-enter the terminal to go to the Malaysia Airlines’ Lost and Found office which is located at the airside area of the terminal,” said MAHB.

On May 7, businessman Wilson Ng, who had gone there to pick up his luggage which he had accidentally left at the baggage carousel following a trip to Taipei with his family, was told to go back home and change by a security officer at the enquiry counter.

“I was shocked and upset. However, I calmed down and tried to reason with him.

“KLIA is not near my home and secondly when I called the number a day before there was nothing mentioned about the dress code.

“We had a discussion and I made sure I didn’t raise my voice and he asked me to visit the security office. In my mind, I just want to collect my bag and leave and I don’t want any trouble or argument, I just want to get my bag and that’s all,” he said in a blog post.

This is the first report of a male encountering such a situation.

Previous cases highlighted by the media involved women who were deemed to be indecently dressed and denied entry into the Balik Pulau court complex, the Selangor state secretariat building, the Sungai Buloh hospital and the Gombak Road Transport Department.

In Nusajaya, social activist Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye suggested the setting up of a special committee to review the existing dress code imposed on visitors to government departments, agencies and public institutions.

“The Government has to listen to views and opinions from all parties and the decision (on the dress code) should be standardised for all government premises,” he said at a press conference yesterday after the launch of Southern Marina integrated waterfront development sales gallery and show unit at Puteri Harbour.