Dress code: A form of discrimination, abuse of power, says SIS

KUCHING: An Islamic women’s organisation here has expressed its concern over recent cases highlighting unwarranted enforcement of dress codes, arguing that this growing policing of women’s attire by government officials could make Malaysia even more conservative than what it already is.

In a statement, the Sisters in Islam (SIS) said the various incidents of late appeared to show how everyday government officials were taking matters into their own hands, arbitrarily enforcing regulations and even denying services to some women.

“This type of selective enforcement is completely discriminatory and unnecessary, especially after Sungai Buloh Hospital director Dr Khalid Ibrahim said the incident was unwarranted as neither the Health Ministry nor the hospital management had any policy to discriminate people – patients and visitors alike – based on attire.

“Moreover, Health Department director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah has also stated that the dress sign is only ‘advisory’,” the body said.

The Sungai Buloh incident referred to a woman who was barred entry to the hospital because she was wearing shorts. In her Facebook posting, the woman claimed that she was forced to borrow a towel to cover up her legs before hospital authority allowed her to visit her father, who was being warded there.

Sungai Buloh Hospital, through a spokesperson, later acknowledged the incident and had issued an apology over the matter.

On this, SIS questioned about whose standard of such ‘decent dressing’ was being enforced on all Malaysians.

“First, it was the incidents at the Road Transport Department and the Selangor State Secretariat. Now the Islamic Religious Department in Pahang (Jaip) has issued a warning that Muslim women must dress decently in public out of respect for the holy month of Ramadan; or risk facing a year’s jail or a fine up to RM2,000.

“Religious conservatism in Malaysia is crossing the line as now Malaysians now face restrictions on their freedom of movement due to dress codes.”

SIS added that it was concerned over such growing conservatism that would only lead to more discrimination of Malaysians.

“We should learn from the tragedy that occurred in Mecca in 2002, where 15 schoolgirls were killed after religious police did not allow them to leave a burning building – simply because they weren’t wearing headscarves.

“We firmly believe that the dress codes in question are based on an arbitrary interpretation of ‘decent-dress’. It is evident that this new obsession with women’s bodies is not meant to encourage modesty.

“Instead, the concept of dress codes is clearly being used as a form of control by conservative individuals to deny services to Malaysian women.

“We call on the government and all public institutions to re-educate their personnel in order to prevent such cases from repeating,” SIS stressed.