KUCHING, Feb 8 — The customer dress code requirement should be eliminated entirely at police stations, said Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) Women chief Kho Teck Wan.
She said it was the honourable responsibility of the police to protect and serve the public.
“Police officers should not be burdened with the added responsibility of first determining the complainant’s dress code then classifying the severity of complaints before allowing any complainant to lodge a report.
“Over the years, we have heard of incidents where members of the public were denied entry into certain government buildings due to dress code violations. In my opinion, in most cases the issues were blown out of proportion,” she said.
She was responding to a statement made by the Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani on Feb 4, where he mentioned anyone going to a police station should keep the fifth principle of the Rukun Negara in mind and dress courteously while minding their morals.
Kho said that Acryl had indicated that dress code at the police station can be relaxed based on the type of emergency.
“I am in the opinion that the dress code requirement should be eliminated entirely at police stations,” she stressed.
Nevertheless, Kho said she agrees that in general, proper attire is required when entering government buildings for official duties and functions.
“However, the dress code should not be applied to service counters and stations that handle complaints or emergency cases such as the police station, fire department and clinics.
“I therefore urge our lawmakers to revise the dress code requirement at government buildings that service the public on a daily basis, especially during emergencies, so our civil servants can serve the public efficiently by focusing on the real matters at hand instead of their attire,” she said. — Borneo Post Online
