Weary over rules on what to wear

ONE woman goes to the hospital for treatment, another to a government office and the third goes to lodge a police report – all three get barred from entering the building, just because someone thinks they are not dressed decently enough.

Moral policing and the length of a woman’s hemline are back in the news.

Several years after incidents which saw women being given sarongs and towels to “cover up”, it looks like nothing has changed.

The recent incidents have sparked a fresh debate on whether dressing etiquette should take pre- cedence over an emergency. The answer has to be an emphatic no.

It’s not enough that a few ministers make announcements to that effect. The government has to spell it out loud and clear once and for all.

Government offices and agencies are for the people, and requiring people to go home and change is quite a hassle. Not everyone can afford the time to do so and what if it is an emergency?

One may argue that guidelines are often displayed at premises, but Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said had said in 2015 that there is no dress code for the public when dealing with government departments and agencies. It’s only a guideline.

Only civil servants are subject to the dress code. Of course, that does not mean that one can wear anything they like.

“The public can wear appropriate clothing which is in line with (our) traditions and eastern values when going to government offices,” Azalina said in Parliament.

This means that the woman who wanted to lodge a police report over an accident did not do anything wrong.

However, on the day she went, she was told that her knees were showing below her pants and she had to go back to change.

Then, there was the woman who turned up at the emergency unit of a hospital at 11pm after a game of badminton.

Someone at the Kampar Hospital stopped her saying she was indecently dressed. She, too, had to go home and get “properly attired” before she could receive treatment.

What if her condition had worsened? Who would be responsible? Shouldn’t a hospital put the treatment of a patient first, and not what she is wearing?

Healthcare professionals say “there are no guidelines” that say patients can be stopped at the door because of their attire. In fact, the Hippocratic oath says all patients must be treated regardless of attire.

As a doctor, Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa, has also taken the oath and agrees.

“Every patient must be given treatment irrespective of race or ethnicity. This includes the dress code,” she said.

The Kampar Hospital’s director has also denied that patients can be denied entry over their attire. He said the hospital has reprimanded the officer involved.

Kudos for that – but it should not have happened in the first place, and the ministry has to ensure it does not happen again.

Public Service Department director-general Datuk Seri Mohd Shafiq Abdullah was quoted as saying in May last year that the dress code at government offices was in line with the fifth principle of the Rukun Negara: Kesopanan dan Kesusilaan (courtesy and morality).

He said the guidelines were aimed at ensuring the collective harmony and well-being of Malaysia’s multicultural society and this was practised at government offices in Japan, Britain and Australia as well as some South-East Asian countries.

“Similarly, a good appearance mirrors politeness,” he said.

However, how do we define what is the right dress code? And again, what if it is an emergency? Clearly, there is no one-size-fits-all solution.

Based on photos that went viral, the clothes worn by the women who were stopped looked decent enough, yet they were denied entry because some over-enthusiastic officer thought he could see “too much” of a person.

There is no denying that we should always be mindful of maintaining decency in public when it comes to formal engagements.

In a multi-racial society, we must be aware of sentiments – on all sides – and respect our fellow citizens. As far as possible, the people should dress according to the guidelines.

But there is also a need for uniformity in the rules across the country. The vague messaging is not helping.

Sentries must be fully aware of the rules – that everyone has a right to government service – and should not act based on their own interpretation of the rules.

The government has clearly spelt out what is allowed and what is not. It must also clearly outline the rules which apply to all agencies and departments, and exceptions if any.

What we certainly do not need is unnecessary “fashion policing”, especially during an emergency.