Woman says she was denied entry to Malaysia police station as her skirt was above the knee
A woman has said she was denied entry to a police station in Malaysia as she was wearing a short skirt.
The 56-year-old, named Ms Guo (transliterated from Mandarin), told Sin Chew Daily that this happened on Monday (8 Dec) when she attempted to file a police report about a car accident.
Source: Sin Chew Daily
Woman involved in accident along highway in Melaka
Ms Guo said she was driving with her daughter from Batu Pahat to Kuala Lumpur.
Another vehicle hit her car on the North-South Expressway in Melaka at about 2 pm.
Source: Sin Chew Daily
A young man surnamed Wu drove the other car. His wife and their two young children accompanied him.
After the accident, both parties proceeded to the Jasin District Police Headquarters to file a report.
Source: Sin Chew Daily
Woman denied entry to police station as skirt violated dress code
However, officers stationed at the police station entrance prevented Ms Guo and her daughter, who is in her 20s, from entering.
They said the skirts they were wearing violated the dress code because they were above the knee.
She asked the officer to make an exception because she had to file a report about an accident.
However, the officer stood firm and explained that his superiors would scold him if he allowed them in.
Source: Google Maps
He then suggested they buy pants from a nearby mall.
As they were in a hurry to file the report and return home, they complied.
Source: Sin Chew Daily
Frustrated woman questions dress code
Frustrated, Ms Guo told Sin Chew that there should be an exception to every case.
“We can’t possibly carry a pair of pants with us every time we go out, and besides, who can predict what might happen?” she maintained.
She also questioned whether the officers would still follow the dress code if it had been a murder case.
Exceptions made only for emergencies: Police
In a press statement posted on Facebook on Tuesday (9 Dec), Melaka Police Chief Dzulkhairi Mukhtar said the police had investigated the incident.
Source: Polis Melaka
When the women arrived at the police station at 5pm, the duty officer at the front door had noted that they had not sustained any injuries.
So he asked them to go home first and change into appropriate clothes before filing a report, the police chief added.
They were denied entry in accordance with the Chief Secretary to the Government’s circular on “improvements to public sector customer relationship management”, issued on 1 Dec 2020, he noted.
Officers allowed the women to enter when they returned at 5.40pm, dressed more modestly.
Datuk Dzulkhairi emphasised that the public should follow the dress code when dealing with police counters.
He added that police only make exceptions for emergencies and cases requiring immediate action.
He also advised the public not to indulge in speculation regarding the incident.
Essential services should be exempted from dress code rule: Cabinet
The issue has made it all the way to the top, with policy adjustments in the pipeline.
In a press conference streamed ‘live’ on Facebook on Wednesday (10 Dec), Malaysian Minister for Communications Fahmi Fadzil said the Cabinet had discussed the matter.
Prime MinÂisÂter Anwar Ibrahim believes that when it comes to security issues, there should be no circumstances that prevent people from lodging a police report, he added.
Source: Fahmi Fadzil on Facebook
The Cabinet thus proposed that essential front-line services, including police stations, health facilities and other government premises, should be exempted from the 1 Dec 2020 circular.
The Chief Secretary to the Government will review the circular and make some “improvements”, he noted.
Further statements and circulars are expected to be released “in the near future”.
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Featured image adapted from Sin Chew Daily and Google Maps.
