In Nov 2015, in a written parliamentary reply to a query from Datuk Marcus Mojigoh (BN-Putatan), Datuk Seri Azalina Othman the then Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department clearly and succintly replied in writing that, reproduced here ad verbatim,
There is no dress code for the public when dealing with government departments and agencies. Those dressed "inappropriately" will be allowed in.
Only public officers were subjected to dress code rulings.
The statement was very clear and in simple language.
Ministerial replies are official statements of the Executive's position, intentions, or interpretations of policy.
Ministers can be held accountable in Parliament for statements they make.
If subsequent actions by the government contradicts or goes against a statement made by a Minister in Parliament, the public has every right and responsibility to take the Minister to task.
And yet despite the confirmation from the then Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department as far back as in 2015, there are still incidents of the public being barred from entering government departments and agencies in the present time.
The latest being 2 female who went to a police station to lodge a report on a road accident but one of them was asked to return home to change into clothing that complied with the official dress code.
Following an incident earlier in Feb 2023 where a woman was refused entry into a police station because she was deemed to have been dressed inappropriately, the Home Minister reportedly said he has told police that they must take reports from the public regardless of how the person lodging them is dressed.
Did the Minister and his aides followed up with the police to ensure that what the Minister claimed he told the police was implemented and carried out?
Or the Minister is going to claim that this is an isolated incident and one spoiled apple does not mean the whole cart is rotten?
Probably the Minister is not aware that the full proverb is “one bad apple SPOILS THE WHOLE BARREL” this is because rotten apples produce huge amounts of ethylene which cause ALL THE OTHER APPLES TO ALSO BECOME ROTTEN and not one spoiled apple does not mean the whole cart is rotten
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