Citing Eastern values, PAS calls for dress code to be upheld

PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man says the government’s action in revising the dress code 'after pressure from a political party' was a sign of weak commitment to the values of decency.

PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said the personnel who prevented a woman from entering the compound of the Jasin police headquarters should be praised and defended instead.

PETALING JAYA:

 PAS has criticised the government for relaxing the dress code at government counters and offices following an incident where a woman was denied entry to the Jasin police headquarters in Melaka due to her attire.

PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said the government’s action in revising the dress code after pressure “from a political party” was a sign of weak commitment to the values of decency.

He said the principles of the Rukun Negara were formulated to preserve Eastern values, manners, and decency – a cornerstone of Malaysian society.

“Dressing ethics is not a partisan issue; it is a fundamental aspect of social education that shapes citizens’ discipline without exception, and it should be upheld, not relaxed,” he said in a statement.

The dress code controversy arose after a woman seeking to report an accident was denied entry to the Jasin police headquarters in Melaka on Dec 8 as her attire – allegedly a skirt that fell above the knee – was deemed unsuitable for government premises.

Melaka police chief Dzulkhairi Mukhtar said the woman was asked to return home to change. She later returned, dressed more modestly and with her mother, and was allowed to file the report.

The government later announced that the dress code was relaxed during emergencies or unusual situations.

Tuan Ibrahim said the personnel who prevented the woman from entering the compound of the police headquarters should be praised and defended instead.

“I am confident that the actions of the police personnel were based on an assessment at the time that the matter was not an emergency and did not require immediate action. In an emergency, of course, a different judgment and response would be taken,” he said.

The relaxation of the dress code came after digital minister Gobind Singh Deo, from DAP, had urged Inspector-General of Police Khalid Ismail to issue a clear directive to all police stations not to refuse victims or complainants the right to report an accident or crime due to their attire.

Kota Melaka MP Khoo Poay Tiong, also of DAP, said home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail had in the past stated that police were required to accept reports, regardless of the attire of the person lodging it.

On Wednesday, Chief Secretary Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar announced that the government has relaxed the dress code at government counters and offices during emergencies or unusual situations to ensure that the public’s right to immediate services is not denied. - FMT