Dress code ruling not fair, Kelantan govt told

KOTA BARU: Umno and MCA are crying foul over the action by Kelantan religious authorities to punish a man who was seen wearing shorts in public.

“If the PAS Government wants to take action, it should impose the desired dress code on everyone, including male athletes. Then it’s fair,” said Kelantan Umno secretary Datuk Hanafi Mamat.

He was referring to Wan Khairul Hayyee Wali, 30, who was slapped with a notice by the Kelantan Religious Affairs Department (JAIK) after he was caught wearing shorts while on his way to a futsal match on Monday.

Wan Khairul agreed to attend a counselling session to avoid going to the Syariah court. He faces a RM1,000 fine if found guilty.

While he acknowledged that Muslim men should not expose their thighs in accordance with Islamic teachings, Hanafi said Islam also placed great emphasis on fairness when it came to enforcing the law.

Kelantan MCA secretary Datuk Lua Choon Hann feared that such dress code rulings could impede development of sports in the state.

The action against Wan Khairul would discourage other youths from taking part in healthy sports activities, he added.

He also accused PAS of propagating “archaic” rulings, and accused the Islamist party of emulating “the Taliban way”.