I didn’t expect the government to respond positively to the cries against the dress code unilaterally imposed upon members of the public entering government departments and agencies.

This is because the dress code issue has been a perennial problem over the past few decades, with some members of the public complaining of being denied government counter services because of their attire, and successive governments simply giving assurances without revising the code.

Often, someone is turned away just because her skirt is slightly above her knees or he is wearing shorts that show his knees.

If anyone is really dressed indecently, then the police should just arrest and charge them in a court of law. After all, we do have laws against indecent behavior in public.

No taxpayer should be denied government service just because of their attire.

That is why, I believe, most Malaysians will be happy to note that the dress code at police stations and other frontline government offices will be revised soon.

Government spokesman Fahmi Fadzil said on December 10 that “the chief secretary (Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar) will review a 2020 circular and make improvements following the Cabinet’s decision today, so that certain frontline services, such as health and safety, including police stations, will be given exemptions under the circular”.

This is to be welcomed, but we have to wait and see the final outcome. We all know that saying and doing are different matters.

The Cabinet decision follows public backlash against a woman being denied entry to the Jasin police headquarters on December 8 because she was wearing a skirt slightly above her knees – something that bureaucracy deems unsuitable at government premises.

Reports quoted Melaka police chief Dzulkhairi Mukhtar as admitting that the woman, who had gone to the Jasin police station to report an accident, was asked to return home to change into clothing that complied with the official dress code.

She did return to the police station later in attire that was deemed appropriate to lodge the report.

Digital minister Gobind Singh Deo on December 9 urged Inspector-General of Police Khalid Ismail to issue a clear directive to police stations nationwide not to refuse victims or complainants the right to report an accident or crime due to their attire.

He rightly said in a statement that people did not dress in anticipation of crime, and therefore, attire should not be used as the basis for deciding whether or not a person could lodge reports.

“What is important is that an incident has occurred, which needs to be reported, and action needs to be taken to deal with it without delay. The police have no right to impose upon anyone standards which are unilateral, arbitrary or unreasonable,” he said in a statement.

The fact is, government departments and agencies have been established to serve the people, not monitor or police their attire.

The fact is, this is just not about clothes. It is about the rights of individuals. The state should have no say on how someone dresses or what he or she does so long as it is not criminal in nature.

Also, one has just to read social media comments and hear coffee shop talk to realise that many non-Muslims feel that such a dress code infringes on minority rights.

They note that a short skirt is not indecent to most non-Muslims, and also to most people in other parts of the world, especially if it’s just a little above the knees. Neither is a pair of shorts worn by a man or woman.

A friend has this to say: “Malaysians would welcome such a dress code if it makes everyone more ethical, eradicates corruption, reduces crime, eliminates sexual abuse, increases productivity and enhances civil service efficiency.”

This latest incident comes on the heels of a report that the Inland Revenue Board in Miri recently denied service to a tax-payer because of the clothes he wore.

This created an uproar, with some saying: “Why do you worry what he wears? Just collect his tax.”

Sarawak rights activist Peter John Jaban feared that federal agencies were now imposing “peninsular‑style moral policing on Sarawakians”.

The deputy president of NGO Global Human Rights Federation said: “There have already been multiple cases in West Malaysia where hospital and clinic staff enforced dress codes by turning people away or limiting access to essential services. This is not a dress‑code issue but a power issue.”

He may be on to something. Is this about power and dominance coming in the guise of “proper dressing?”

The problem with authorities in Peninsular Malaysia is that they have to be constantly reminded that Malaysia is multi-racial and multi-religious and that they should not impose the belief system or code of conduct of one culture or religion on all Malaysians.

I hope that in revising the dress code, the chief secretary will make it more practical, flexible and in line with Malaysia’s diverse population.

As Fahmi indicated, the code should not apply at some departments and agencies such as hospitals, clinics and police stations.

The problem is that every time this issue crops up, it raises the level of tension because many non-Muslims, as I said earlier, see it as an infringement of their rights. This is not good for the nation.

Points of inter-religious and inter-racial contention should be reduced, not elevated.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.