KUALA LUMPUR: Former high-ranking civil servants and lawyers have blamed the recent spate of strict enforcement of dress codes at government buildings on the intolerant attitude of certain “holier-than-thou” individuals.

They said that it is time Putrajaya puts a stop to this moral policing, saying the leadership must take a firm stand against those who abuse the rights of the people seeking services at government departments.

They also said the Congress of Unions of Employees in the public and civil services, the umbrella group of civil service unions, had no business endorsing such actions.

Human rights activist and lawyer Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan said government departments are not places of worship where there would understandably be a dress code.

“They have to realise that these government offices are public premises to serve the public and not to tell them how to dress.”

Ambiga said that while those visiting government departments should not be indecently dressed, it is a matter of opinion and as such, those manning the gates could not impose their personal views.

Former diplomat Datuk Noor Farida Ariffin of the Group of Prominent Malays, or G25, wondered if the incidents involving the security guards stemmed from their own “overzealous-ness” or whether the orders were issued by their higher-ups.

In any case, she said the provision of sarongs to cover up “offending” parts of the body had indicated a growing religious conservatism.

Tan Sri Dr Ramon Navaratnam, a former secretary-general of the transport ministry, termed it as a case of “little Napoleons trying to be more pious than the Pope”.

“It’s not like they were in their bikini or underpants, so what’s the issue? Why are they so affected by the sight of knees?” said the chairman of the Asli Centre for Public Policy Studies.

Lawyer Latheefa Koya attributed the dress code policing to “exaggerated conservatism”, adding that it is quite unnecessary as Malaysians do not dress indecently.

She said the dress codes went beyond issues of indecency because they also required men to wear collared shirts and shoes.

The lawyer also reminded Cuepacs that civil servants are there to serve the public, irrespective of the way they dress, and ought not to act as moral or fashion enforcers.

Ambiga said there could be legal recourse if someone is refused entry and could not get business settled in a government department.

“Let’s say they went to get a licence and could not enter the building, and suffered damage, they would have legal recourse.”

Ramon urged the government to show leadership in order to put an end to this latest furore, saying that, otherwise, the people would fear going to government departments.

“The best thing for the government to do now is to come out with courage and confidence to state clearly its stand, or face the consequences of [the] people’s approval or wrath.”

Noor Farida also urged the government to direct its agencies to stop issuing dress codes from now on. — The Malaysian Insider

This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on June 29, 2015.