KUALA LUMPUR, July 3 — The dress code that prevented a Star reporter from gaining entry into the Defence Ministry applies to all visitors and has been in effect for some time, the ministry said today.
Responding to a report carried by the local newspaper today, the ministry denied that it was targeting members of the media for enforcement.
“Referring to The Star report today, the Defence Ministry would like to stress that the dress codes are mandatory for everyone, not just the media,” the statement wrote.
The ministry further wrote that the standard guidelines were collared shirt, long pants and skirt below the knee and those who do not comply will be denied entry.
“The issue raised by the reporter when attending the event on July 2, 2015, she was wearing a skirt above the knee...she clearly did not follow the rule,” the statement wrote.
“This is nothing new and the ministry has enforced those dress codes for a while.”
According to The Star earlier today, a female reported was stopped at the guardhouse of the Defence Ministry for wearing a black-and-white short-sleeved dress with a hemline that ended above her knees.
The reporter said she was only allowed in after she retrieved a long skirt she kept in her car in the event she encounters “overzealous” dress code enforcement.
The incident was the latest in a series of other reported cases in which members of the public were denied entry into government buildings and offices for dress code violations.
Recently, several women were blocked from entering public institutions and government buildings such as a Penang courthouse, a Road Transport Department (RTD) office, the Selangor state secretariat, the Sungai Buloh public hospital for wearing knee-length skirts and shorts deemed indecent.
Some of these women were given sarongs by security personnel to cover their legs to fit with the dress code and be granted entry into the buildings.
