The cover up with sarong incident at Wangsa Maju JPJ office involves the bigger issue of an unreasonable and unacceptable dress code for customers, not just how an insensitive guard had made a mistake or acted on his own.
Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai should not miss the forest for the trees and should be prepared to raise the issue of unacceptable government departments’ dress code for customers in the Cabinet.
Liow has yesterday explained that the directive to Suzzana to wear a sarong before dealing with JPJ was given by a security guard, and not by the department’s officers.
He said that the guard feared she would not be able to carry out official dealings at the JPJ counters and so he gave her the sarong. He said that there were no instructions issued by JPJ that customers should be given a sarong if they did not meet its dress code and he also said that action will be taken against the guard.
Liow was quoted to say that he did not know where the guard got the sarong from but added that “This is a serious matter. You can’t impose your values on others.”
From Liow’explantions, I wonder if he has really understood the public outrage over the cover up with sarong incident.
If he has read or been informed about the public criticisms that have appeared in social media and in opinion articles in the media, he should know that public anger is mostly and correctly directed at the strict and unacceptable dress code imposed by the department.
Public are naturally angry with the cover up with sarong directive, but they want the Minister to resolve the source of problem – the unacceptable and excessively strict dress code which many feel is the imposition of one’s values on others.
Can Liow explain if the guard would have given Suzzana the sarong if there is no such dress code that says that JPJ visitors cannot expose their knees?
Secondly, how could Liow say that he did not now know where the guard got the sarong from when he had come to the conclusion that based on investigations, action will be taken against the guard? Should not he ensure an investigation be thorough?
Thirdly, why was the guard’s directive to Suzzana not aware or stopped by any JPJ officer?
It has been reported that the present customers’ dress code for government departments was set several years ago by the Chief Secretary.
Liow should therefore raise the unacceptable dress code issue in the Cabinet and emphasise that the government cannot impose its values on others.
廖中莱应正视陈女士被逼穿纱笼的根源
——————————————–
（吉隆坡11日讯）行动党全国副主席郭素沁说，陈女士被迫穿纱笼事件不仅是一位保安人员犯错或自己行事的问题，而是陆路交通局存在不合理的衣着指南。
因此，她呼吁交长廖中莱从根源下手，而不是将重点放在调查保安人员身上，企图大事化小。
“由于有报导指现有的各政府部门的衣着标准，是由政府首席秘书多年前制定，那廖氏应该在内阁反对政府实行“将本身价值观强制加在他人身上”的衣着标准。”
也是士布爹区国会议员的郭素沁指出，廖中莱的解释不够详细，有些问题没有答案，包括：-
一、如果没有苛刻的衣着指南，有关保安人员会做出迫穿纱笼指示吗？
二、既然廖氏说如果在调查后发现保安人员擅自行事，该官员会受到对付，他又怎能说不知纱笼来自何处？为何经过调查，纱笼来自哪儿都会查不出呢？
三、当有关保安人员发出迫穿纱笼指示，为何交局官员会不知情或不阻止该保安人员这么做？
郭素沁说，有关事件的源头出现在不合理的衣着指南，更涉及“不能将本身价值观强加在他人身上”的基本原则，因此廖氏应该要求内阁检讨各政府部门不合理的衣着指南。
郭素沁