When shorts are ‘too short’

Jonathan: Surely one must not be expected to change one’s clothing before heading to a police station or hospital for an emergency.

ANOTHER brouhaha over dress codes at government buildings has surfaced yet again.

In the first reported incident, a woman wearing a pair of above-the-knee shorts was barred from entering the police headquarters in Kajang, Selangor, where she intended to lodge a report on a road accident.

In another incident, a woman who was wearing shorts after playing badminton was reportedly turned away by a medical officer for being “indecently dressed” while seeking treatment at Kampar Hospital in Perak.

And then there was another woman who was denied entry to the second floor of the Pasir Gudang City Council in Johor for apparently wearing a “see-through” dress.

Each time cases like these go viral on social media, they are bound to trigger a debate on dress codes at government departments or agencies.

These regulations aren’t just for females but also men, who are denied entry if they’re deemed to be dressed inappropriately. I myself have encountered such experiences.

I remember wearing capri pants, or three-quarter pants, to renew my driving licence and was instructed by a guard to put on a sarong.

When the officer at the counter enquired why I was wearing a sarong, I responded by saying my outfit was “too sexy”, and we had a good laugh.

The common justification for dress codes at government buildings is that they uphold the fifth principle of the Rukun Negara, namely, courtesy and morality, which is aimed at fostering unity among the people through good behaviour.

This is understandably so, as Malaysia is a multiethnic and multireligious society with different sensitivities.

But what has sparked outrage in these viral cases is the length, pun intended, to which some individuals go to perform their duties.

It’s fair to say that in times of emergency, the moral policing of clothing worn would result in extreme inconveniences.

Amid all this, I am grateful that Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail and Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah have provided clarification that these incidents shouldn’t have taken place.

I am sure most of our government officials have more pressing work to attend to than fuss over a visitor’s attire.

Common sense has to be exercised. Surely one must not be expected to change one’s clothing before heading to a police station or hospital for an emergency.

If it’s simply poor judgement on the part of a solitary officer, the individual should be reprimanded by the higher-ups for failure to exercise discretionary powers reasonably.

Ultimately, everyone – both the public servants and the general public – must exercise respect.

Dress codes must be formulated bearing in mind factors such as our cultural beliefs.

There’s a marked difference between respecting the sensitivities of others and overzealous enforcement devolving into moral policing and imposition of one’s values on others.

Let’s not skirt around the crux of the matter but extend respect to each other instead.

Jonathan, 21, a Malaysian student in the United Kingdom, is a participant of the BRATs Young Journalist Programme run by The Star’s Newspaper-in-Education (Star-NiE) team. For more information, go to facebook.com/niebrats.

Now that you have read the article, test your understanding by carrying out the following English language activities.

1 Look in today’s copy of the Sunday Star newspaper for at least five examples of different types of clothing worn in Malaysia. Cut them out. In your Star-NiE scrapbook, group them according to their categories: appropriate or inappropriate in a government building. Next, label each piece of clothing. When you are done, exchange work with your activity partner. Compare each other’s findings. Do you agree with each other’s classification of the clothing?

2 Do you know how to dress up for every occasion? Think of an occasion you would like your partner to dress you up for. Now, task your partner with dressing you up for the occasion using pictures of clothing featured in the newspaper. Likewise, do the same for your partner. Then, present your choices for each other. How would you rate your satisfaction of your partner’s choice for you? Do you think it is appropriate for the occasion you have in mind?

The Star’s Newspaper-in-Education (Star-NiE) programme promotes the use of English language in primary and secondary schools nationwide. For Star-NiE enquiries, email [e-mail].