Dress code, stress code

Dress code here is really, actually a stress code.

I refer to recent reports of women running afoul of the dress code at government premises.

One was made to wear a batik sarong over her skirt at a JPJ office in Petaling Jaya; the other had to wear a towel over her shorts to enter a hospital in Sungai Buloh.

More recently, two women were asked to cover up their legs to gain entry into the Selangor State Secretariat building.

What was the objective of all this?

Perhaps those who aim to educate others on how to dress decently in public must first advocate basic human decency themselves. What ever happened to tolerance and kindness?

To me, the only time someone asks me to put on a batik sarong would be at my in-law’s in Linggi, in the kampong, when I go for a shower.

Surely there must be a way to enforce guidelines and regulations without having to make others look or feel silly.

If I were to make a suggestion, take a look at how the Immigration Department here handles the standard dress code for taking passport photos.

For those who come without knowing that you have to wear dark coloured clothes, there are jackets, collared shirts and even t-shirts for kids available. If guidelines can be respectfully enforced there, why can’t it be done elsewhere?

Relevant departments could even generate revenue by opening a booth to rent out suitable clothes for the convenience of the public. Or maybe impose a fine as a deterrent to repeat offenders? This way, people would think twice before flaunting the dress code.

In the good old days, what women (and men) wore when they ran errands at government premises was never even an issue. So why are things different now?

Even if we were to say for the sake of argument that the current dress code is justified, must we be so backwards with its implementation and enforcement?

Yes, it can be annoying and disrespectful when one does not abide to the dress code.

But what annoys me more is not the aunty who wears a short skirt at the JPJ, but the makcik who jumps in the pool with her teenage daughters all clad in full zumba attire instead of a burkini during my much needed holiday. Only because it is unhygienic for other bathers like me!

Getting back to the topic at hand, I wonder what the ‘fashion police’ get from ridiculing these women just because they breach the dress code.

Or are they so weak that the slightest sight of skin or knee trembles their ‘iman’ (faith)?

Shouldn’t such security guards cover their eyes with a blanket or batik sarong instead?

While the motivation of these security personnel still baffles me, there are those who applauded these dress code crusaders on social media.

I bet this is the same Malay-Muslim crowd who found the nation’s gold medal-winning gymnast’s attire offensive and inappropriate.

Really, just because many Malay-Muslims can now speak some Arabic, weaving words like ‘jannah’ and ‘iftar’ in their tweets, and just because they now know the difference between a 'niqab' and 'hijab', they shouldn’t project their beliefs and ideals on multi-cultural Malaysians.

If we really want to get fundamentalist on fashion, why don’t we start by getting RELA officers and security guards playing fashion police at the house of God?

Maybe they can stand guard outside mosques and hand out batik sarong to those who come dressed in ripped jeans or shirts with loud fonts and emblems. Special mention to those who find it appropriate to pray while wearing football jerseys emblazoned with alcohol and betting firm logos.

What this all boils down to is this; a dress code is about common sense and being respectful to those around you.

But respect is a two way street.