PUJUT assemblyman Adam Yii has urged Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Zuki Ali to request a review and clarification of the alleged directives regarding the dress code implemented by government offices and agencies on visitors.
The lawmaker addressed this issue in a statement in response to the repetitive cases of individuals being refused entry to government offices because they were not adhering to the dress code.
According to Yii, the dressing guidelines are not law, and thus the agencies should handle such issues in context with current events rather than “blindly enforcing” the guidelines.
In addition, he deemed such dress code imposed on the public as “being against the principle of providing good services to the people”.
“Members of the public usually visit government places like hospitals or police stations to ask for help,” he was quoted as saying by The Borneo Post.
“In this respect, the civil servants should provide good services to the taxpayers, and not turn them away just because of their attire, unless it is downright inappropriate or obscene.
“It is very unreasonable to deny the public from receiving adequate services from any government agency.”
Yii acknowledged that while it is important for the public to maintain proper etiquettes, including wearing respectable attire, when dealing with any matter in any public space, the officer in charge should focus on attempting to resolve the serious issues rather than being overly concerned with the dress code during emergency situations.
This is especially the case when it comes to areas such as hospitals or police stations, he added.
“Fortunately, such incidents did not happen in Sarawak. This also proves that the government agencies in Sarawak have been relatively enlightened, rational and humane under GPS’s governance,” Yii remarked.
“I hope such an incident would never happen in Sarawak. Anyone who encounters a similar incident, please lodge a complaint to me immediately, rather than posting it on social media.
“It would tarnish the reputation of the country, and it would take a long time to undo the damage.” – March 13, 2023
Main pic credit: Miri City Council
