It was recently reported that a woman had complained that she had been denied entry into Kajang police station over the length of her trousers.
She was said to have gone to the police station to lodge a police report on her car collision with a truck, only to be told by a policeman that she could not enter as her trousers were above her knees.
Just yesterday (February 3), in a response towards the matter, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani stated that anyone going to a police station should keep the fifth principle of the Rukun Negara in mind and dress courteously and mind their morals.
He explained that the only times exceptions are made are when it involves a “life or death” emergency.
“Government offices are where people do business. In an emergency, we can relax the directive. We have to see what kind of emergency it is. Those that involve life or death, we can give a little leeway,” he told reporters at a press conference.
Acryl Sani added that police stations fall under the category of government offices, and that the Chief Secretary to the Government had made clear the types of clothes that can and cannot be worn in a directive.
He also insisted that the rules must be followed, and cited “kesopanan dan kesusilaan” (courtesy and morality) — the fifth principle of the Rukun Negara — as the basis.
Meanwhile, on the incident involving the woman, Acryl said there had been a “misunderstanding” as the unnamed woman had worn pants that “showed her thighs”.
“I was informed that the complainant was wearing shorts and she was advised by police personnel to wear appropriate attire. Maybe there was a misunderstanding during the incident. We must always wear appropriate attire when going to government buildings.”
What do you think of his statement on the matter? Let us know in the comments section.