JOHOR BARU, Oct 5 — Johor MCA Youth today criticised two DAP state executive councillors for not defending non-Muslims rights in the state legislative assembly, following a recent implementation of a traditional Malay dress code ruling.

Johor MCA Youth chief Ling Tian Soon said DAP’s Tan Hing Pin and Liow Cai Tung were irresponsible as they claimed non-Muslims were not affected after the information was leaked on social media.

"They should not do remedy work on Facebook only after the leak of information, by claiming that non-Muslims were not affected (by the ruling),” he said in a statement today.

Tan, who is Skudai assemblyman, is currently the state Local Government, Science and Technology Committee chairman, while Liow, the Johor Jaya assemblyman, is the state Women Development and Tourism Committee chairman.

On September 5, the Johor state executive council implemented a strict traditional Malay dress code for government servants every Thursday.

The implementation, which was approved by the Johor Legislative Assembly on September 5, went viral on social media.

The official letter on the dress code clearly states that men are required to wear a songkok on Thursday, while women must wear baju kurung with a headscarf every day.

The official letter being shared on social media does not indicate that non-Muslim civil servants and Chinese teachers are exempted from the dress code.

Ling questioned if non-Muslims and Chinese teachers are not affected, as what the two assemblymen claimed, then why did they refrain from specifically asking for the provision of "non-Muslims not affected” to be included in the new guideline?

"Is this negligence by Tan and Liow? Or is it an excuse after the leak of information?” asked Ling, adding that MCA is worried about the handling of such issues by the new government.

He said when the Johor Legislative Assembly discussed the guidelines, both should have exerted their influence as executive councillors to seek a special provision that specifically indicates that non-Muslims are not affected, instead of saying so on Facebook after the fact.

"It is very irresponsible (for both) to explain that non-Muslims are not affected on Facebook,” said Ling.

Earlier, MCA deputy president Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong also questioned the Johor state executive council’s decision to implement a strict traditional Malay dress code for government servants every Thursday.

While the Ayer Hitam MP agreed that traditional Malay attire is eye-catching and unique, he asked why the Johor exco is pushing the whole civil service to wear the cultural outfit of only one race, adding that this was "unnecessary” in a diverse country.