Datuk Mahfuz Omar. -Star filepic
KUALA LUMPUR: The guidelines for a proposed Muslim dress code in the private sector is still being studied by the National Labour Advisory Council (NLAC), says Datuk Mahfuz Omar.
The Deputy Human Resources Minister said that the NLAC has deliberated various proposals put forward by the Labour Department and the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim).
He said the proposals had been received before the Pakatan Harapan government took over, adding that it will be brought to the NLAC, which comprises representatives from the government, employers and workers.
“Any decision must be made by the council,” Mahfuz said to reporters when met at Parliament lobby on Tuesday (April 2).
Asked if there is a deadline for the proposed dress code to be implemented, Mahfuz merely said: “Let’s wait and see what will tabled in the NLAC meeting.”
The Pokok Sena MP said that the NLAC had met many times since Pakatan took federal power, adding that such meetings happen infrequently under the Barisan Nasional administration.
“Since we took over, meetings were frequent. Before that, I was informed that meetings were seldom held,” he claimed.
Last August, the Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO) urged the government to stop policing what women wear, saying that it restricts their freedom of expression.
WAO also labelled such policies as extremely sexist, adding that such policies are based on the stereotype that women are seductresses.
The group also suggested that the government focus on more “substantive” issues such as child care, increasing women’s labour force participation and enacting a Sexual Harassment Act as well as a Gender Equality Act.
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