Clothes do not make a man, or woman or any gender

 

What is wrong with Malaysia? Plenty! More than any neighbouring country, we suffer an overdose of political power play and power lust, the ever increasing number of Covid-19 cases, flooding at its worst in Sabah and the east coast states in the peninsula, cries for help from the public in terms of financial help and unemployment, and the flip-flop education policies.

Now the government wants to play the role of “big brother” in deciding what types of clothes are appropriate for its citizens!

Deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (religious affairs) Ahmad Marzuk Shaary has disclosed in a statement that the government is mulling over the possibility of amending Act 355 to provide heavier punishments against the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. According to him, stern action has already been taken against those who do not dress according to their gender.

I have some questions for Ahmad Marzuk which I hope he will answer truthfully:

Are you my father or my mother to tell me how to dress?
Since when was it any of the government’s business to decide for us how to “appropriately” dress?
Are you prepared to pay for the clothes that are said to be “appropriate” for us to wear?
What, by your definition, is “appropriate” to wear according to gender that is?

What I choose to wear is what I feel comfortable in. What I wear is what I can afford. What I wear is my personal choice. It is as simple as that.

If I think that a collared shirt is a one-size-fits-all and can be worn by either my wife or me, how do you decide if it is “gender related”?

If my wife and I chose to wear unisex clothes, how do you decide which of us is in the wrong based on “gender related” clothes?

A person, no matter what his or her background is, should never be judged by what he or she wears. You have to look beyond that. We are all individuals born with the right to choose how we dress or who we choose to associate with. We were born free spirits. Respect that.

There are some well-known politicians in our midst who wear expensive suits but are widely known to be in gay relationships. Do you therefore gloss over their actions just because they are “appropriately” dressed?

If you want to be a guardian of good moral practices, please start by looking at the mirror. This holier-than-thou stance does nothing good for the nation except create a negative impression of this country.

Malaysia is often the laughing stock of the world no thanks to policymakers who have nothing else better to do then to make fools of themselves with their words and actions.

If you cannot say something logical to justify your statement, it is better that you say nothing at all. That way, you will look a lot smarter than you really are.

Clement Stanley is an FMT reader.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.