World

Third 'sarong' incident
in Malaysia as woman wearing
shorts is barred from entering
hospital

The Star/Asia News Network, Petaling Jaya Malaysia | World | Tue, June 23 2015, 6:40 PM

The Star/Asia News Network

A third "sarong" incident in Malaysia has been making waves over the Internet.

This time, a woman had to don a towel around her waist in order to enter a public hospital.

The woman was reportedly stopped by security at Sungai Buloh hospital visitor's gate on June 16 for wearing shorts.

The woman's father then borrowed a patient's towel from one of the hospital wards and brought it back outside for the woman to wrap around herself.

She was allowed into the compound only after covering her knees with the borrowed towel. It is believed that when questioned, the guards answered that the ruling was an instruction from the Health Ministry.

Pictures of the woman donning on a towel around her waist in order to enter the hospital have gone viral on social media.

Among the images circulated was one of the woman wearing a yellow towel standing in front of a sign which listed the hospital dress code. Among the prohibited items of clothing are sleeveless tank tops, short shorts or short skirts. Long pants are allowed. The dress codes for both men and women are also available on the hospital's website.

The hospital has apologised over the incident.

Hospital director Khalid Ibrahim said it is neither the Health Ministry nor hospital's policy to stop anybody from going into the hospital based on their attire.

"We apologise for the incident. It shouldn't have happened. We do not bar any visitors from entering the hospital because of what they are wearing.

"However, we encourage the public to dress decently when visiting patients," he told The Star when contacted on Tuesday.

Khalid said there may have been some "miscommunication" involving the hospital guard, who allegedly barred the woman from entering the hospital.

"We have lodged a complaint with the security guard company about the guard in question," he said.

But the woman's father still seemed miffed over the incident, telling The Star on Tuesday that there was no telling where a dress code may be imposed next, perhaps even by the roadside.

"I don't mind if the dress code was for offices or for official functions, but this is different as it is a public setting. They should not do this. It is illogical," said the 52-year-old father who only wished to be known as Annan.

"If they can impose such a ruling in a hospital then they can impose it by anywhere, even by the roadside," said Annan, who wished to know the reason behind the dress code.

He said that he did not even know there was a dress code in place.

" I read about the Road Transport Department (JPJ) 'sarong' incident but figured that it was different because that was in an office. I did not expect such a ruling from a hospital.

"I was angry as I had already arrived at the hospital. They could have given us a chance and we would not have repeated it again.

"It was the only free weekend we had and we came from Kuala Lumpur to Sungai Buloh to visit a relative," he added.

Even though the hospital's dress code was available on the hospital's website, Annan said that the ruling should be more prominent as not everyone was tech-savvy.

"Even if they want to implement a dress code, they should let the public know in advance, perhaps publish it in a newspaper or something.

"Educated people can go to the website and find out but people like me, we don't know how to go to websites. Perhaps give a timeframe for others to get used to the ruling too," he added.

Annan pointed out that his daughter was singled out as there were many others who did not follow the dress code.

"I pointed out to the guard that a few people wearing slippers and shorts were let through. The guard said that was fine as the shorts touched the knee but kept quiet on the slippers. Why is it that they are only going for skirts?" he asked.

He said that when he pressed the guards for an answer, they said he could lodge a complaint via the hospital's suggestion box.

However, Annan said that he had accepted the hospital's apology over the matter.

On Monday, two women, a journalist and Selangor resident, were forced to wear sarongs to enter the Selangor State Secretariat building.

In another incident on June 8, a woman was denied entry into the Gombak Road Transport Department (JPJ) office for wearing a skirt above her knee and was asked to wear a sarong for service. (ika)(++++)

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32 comments

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Jagera1 hour ago

Does this mean women wearing brief clothes will not be allowed through the immigration counter nor permitted to lie on a beach?

WANT2MAKECENTS2 hours ago

......will not go there. Any country who dictate women what to wear, what to do are not going to be busy with tourism!

IdoGOATs6 hours ago

So this is why SBY goes Malaya hospitals

Indo X9 hours ago

If a man in western societies, for example, sees a Catholic Nun wearing her religious habit (like the famous pictures of Mother Teresa, etc), then he automatically thinks she is protecting her morality and chastity, and therefore sacrosanct and “off limits”. If an unscrupulous man is seeking something illegal in flirtation, fornication and adultery, he turns to see other women who flirt and wear provocative clothing and expose their feminine beauties. Thus the modest clothing of a faithful women acts as a warning flag to stay away from this women for she is chaste and protected.

As this examples portrays, and by way of this analogy to bring the concept closer to comprehension, the rationale for modest clothing and covering in Muslim societies is the same. And yet Muslim women have the obligation to follow and observe specifically strict instruction in this regard as mentioned below.

Rustynails7 hours ago

What utter and complete rubbish you talk. What a sad excuse for the male gender you are. Grow up

jaytee7 hours ago

so women without head covers are telling idiots like you that they are free to be raped???

please DO NOT procreate

bohongbohong6 hours ago

have you thought about chemical castration ? It might well cure your problem.

lost_and_found5 hours ago

This is the exact problem with Islam and people like you. No wonder there is such contempt for this religion when this is the general attitude of the muslim men towards woman. You are a disgrace.

praytopesci3 hours ago

WTF are you saying?

A.That a girl showing the slightest skin is advertising she wants to be attacked by some animal - like the one you seem to be saying you are.

B.You have such naughty thoughts and you are worried your sex obsessed Sky Daddy is going to find you guilty of a thought crime. If that is the case, it is your God and your problem. You need to deal with it and stop making it other people’s (women’s) problem.

C.You hate that women would show their individuality.

D.You are sexually unfulfilled and frustrated.

E.All of the above.

~Snap!2 hours ago

I say: E. All of the above.

The chump hopefully don't have any daughter. If so she's in danger.

Jagera1 hour ago

The flaw in your argument is that in societies where women do not cover up, there are few rapes. Yet there are still rapes in societies where women do cover up. Couldi it be that the religions that attempt tp impose dress codes foster criminal behaviour.

Deslee52 minutes ago

If dressing more modestly protects women from attack, as you claim, why then are so many Muslim women, presumably all extremely modestly dressed, still the victims of huge numbers of rapes, murder after rape, sale as sex slaves, kidnap and modestation, nearly all at the hands of Muslim men? The argument makes no sense. I live on the Gold Coast in Australia where women regularly parade around in bikinis, but we have no sex slavery and no kidnapping so that young girls can be sold as 'brides'. This argument is made purely to justify male control over women and their sexuality. And more fool women for allowing it.

AnimisticGod12 hours ago

You are too sexy for my brain, too sexy yeahhh

Your legs are too sexy, yeah,,

yours sincerely: bollocks brain.

SiangMalam13 hours ago

The whole Malaysian economy is in a deep end of the gutter with the value of the Ringgit in an all-time low and economic growth at below 5% and yet these religious bigots and extremists are concerned about knee caps that can sexually arouse.... Sickos!

p.s. Last week the world-class performance of a gymnast Farah Ann Abdul Hadi was overshadowed because she wore a leotard to compete in gymnastics and audience could see her "aurat"

AndyKai9 hours ago

You have mistook that for Indonesia. Malaysia has recorded GDP growth for 6% in 2014 and 5.6% in Q1 2015. Whereas, Indonesia expanded 5.02% in 2014 and 4.7% in Q1 2015. BI has forecasted further downtrend for GDP growth in Q2 2015. So far Rupiah was the worst currency performer, depreciated at (latest) 6.9% so far in 2015, highest recorded was nearly 8% touching 13,400 level. Whilst Malaysia comes second with 6.6% depreciation.

jaytee7 hours ago

yeah, and malaysia is still .......... the ass of Asia!

IdoGOATs6 hours ago

compared to Indo?? LOL ... now ur just having a laugh

jaytee5 hours ago

the goats aren't keeping you busy enough??? LOL

~Snap!21 minutes ago

AndyKai, your country Malaysia & Indonesia (mine) are going down together. Those who run our countries are total incompetent bollocks. They have no clue about economic growth, all they have in their brain is about woman's under burqa. Najib & Jokowi should get married, they both are match.