Overzealous dress code enforcement violation of govt guidelines - Ngeh

 

PARLIAMENT | Overzealous enforcement of dress codes at government buildings was a violation of a circular the chief secretary to the government issued in 2020, the Dewan Rakyat was told.

Ngeh Koo Ham (Pakatan Harapan-Beruas) said the addendum to the document had clearly stated that no one shall be discriminated against from receiving government services based on how they were dressed.

"Unfortunately, of late, this circular was not heeded. There are many complaints about not being able to lodge police reports, receiving hospital treatment or dealing with the Companies Commission (due to the dress code).

"This is a form of discrimination against women, the poor, patients, labourers, the natives, the Orang Asli and others, just because of the dress code," he said.

Ngeh (above) was referring to then chief secretary to the government Mohd Zuki Ali’s circular dated Dec 1, 2020.

Item 2.5 on the addendum stated that Putrajaya does not intend to impose a "standard" dress code and instead urged government agencies to clearly state that clients had to be dressed "dengan sopan dan bersesuaian" (modestly and appropriately).

Based on Item 2.7, government heads would be allowed to use their own discretion in determining what was "sopan dan bersesuaian" to ensure clients are served "tanpa sebarang diskriminasi" (without any form of discrimination).

Rukun Negara's fifth principle

Ngeh argued that some government officers have misunderstood the circular and the fifth principle of the Rukun Negara - “kesopanan dan kesusilaan” (courtesy and morality).

Civil servants who have used the fifth principle of the Rukun Negara as a defence for barring reasonably dressed people from government buildings were violating the spirit of the document which was designed to unite the public and not an administrative rule.

"I am shocked that even the inspector-general of police is confused about the fifth principle when he defended the police officer who barred someone from lodging a police report.

"I wish to stress that no arm of the government has been empowered by the House to enforce a dress code on Malaysians," he said. - Mkini