Commentary by Mustafa K. Anuar

THERE is a meme depicting a cartoon character who was robbed of his money as well as his clothes because the robbers concerned wanted to ensure he is not decently dressed to go to a police station to make a report. 

The exaggerated narrative was made to be a cynical reminder of a case of a woman who was reportedly denied entry into the Kajang police headquarters to make a report regarding an accident, because she was wearing Bermuda shorts allegedly came down to only her thighs. It seemed she had violated the department’s dress code.

Coming back to the posted cartoon, it may not necessarily be a joke at all as it reflects the ugly reality of a robbery victim who could have been stripped almost naked by the perpetrators as a means of immobilising him or her, preventing them from seeking help or rushing to a police station.

It then begs the question, can such a person caught in a shock or ordeal barge into a police station to seek help and make a police report, irrespective of how he or she is dressed?

Or does the victim have to flag down a passing car in order to go home to get “properly dressed”? Wouldn’t time be of the essence here?

Inspector-General of Police Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani said that although there is a dress code that is determined by the respective heads of government departments, there is an exception to the rule for “life and death” situations.

But what about cases that are not life threatening and yet are equally traumatic and no less urgent? These may range from snatch thefts involving the loss of expensive jewellery and other precious personal items to hit-and-run vehicular crashes on the road to a case of road bullying?

We are also informed that the Chief Secretary to the Government Mohd Zuki Ali had given directives on the appropriate attire for members of the public when visiting government offices, and that the head of office or agencies would decide which etiquettes to follow.

If the nature of the dress code is to be determined by various department heads, guidelines that are not universal can be confusing to people who have to visit from one office to another, especially if a hasty or urgent visit is involved.

The picture becomes murky if such rules are to be applied to government agencies such as general hospitals. Some people who rush to hospitals for emergency medical treatment may not have “dressed properly”. Would they be turned away by doctors and nurses?

It is generally accepted that there should indeed be a level of dress decency prescribed by government offices, to which the public should adhere.

And members of the public would in general dress “modestly” when visiting these agencies as they would do the same in such other public places as shopping malls, restaurants and pharmacies.

The crux of the matter here is that the notion of modesty varies from one culture to another. It is crucial that government servants should take cognisant of this fact so that their own sense of modesty does not override that of others to the extent that vital services are not rendered to those who require them urgently. 

If we also need reminding, in a diverse society such as ours, it is crucial that government offices adopt an inclusive outlook that is in line with the spirit of so-called Malaysia Madani. 

The general rule should be that civil servants, who are paid by taxpayers, are there to serve the needs of the public.

Of course, these varied notions of modesty should not be interpreted as a licence for anyone to turn up in a government department doing something as outrageous as wearing bikinis or going topless. Besides, we are sure that no one with the right mental make-up would do so atrociously.

What is more important to remember is that a sense of humanity should prevail in civil servants, especially when dealing with urgent and vital cases that may have caused physical and emotional pain. 

It is vital that we, particularly government servants, are dressed up in values that are humane. – February 5, 2023.