Police called onto prioritise pragmatism over dress codes, Senior Lawyer opines

Situations risk making routine interactions with the police unnecessarily cumbersome - December 9, 2025

Police called onto prioritise pragmatism over dress codes, Senior Lawyer opines

Rigid enforcement of dress codes should not hinder Malaysian citizens from exercising their constitutional right to lodge police reports

A SENIOR lawyer has called on the Royal Malaysian Police to grant greater discretionary powers to officers on the ground, arguing that rigid enforcement of dress codes should not hinder citizens from exercising their constitutional right to lodge police reports.

The call follows an incident at the Jasin District police headquarters in Melaka, where two women were initially denied entry on the grounds that their attire was deemed inappropriate.

The women had arrived at the station at around 5pm to report a road accident, and officers reportedly asked them to return home to change, as neither had sustained injuries.

They later returned, accompanied by their mother, wearing what police described as acceptable clothing.

S. Raveentharan, a senior lawyer, said such situations risk making routine interactions with the police unnecessarily cumbersome.

“The police should not make life difficult for the public wanting to lodge reports, especially after a pre-requisite requirement such as a road mishap or an emergency situation.

“To lodge a report is a constitutional right; and the police must be both pragmatic and sensitive to the needs of their customers — who are their fellow citizens,” he said.

Raveentharan emphasised that while reasonable dress standards are understandable, officers must consider practical circumstances.

Casual attire may be worn when visiting shops, returning home, or coping with extreme heat, particularly amid ongoing global warming. “Why make it cumbersome to lodge a basic report?” he said.

He stressed that the police should focus on more pressing concerns, such as corruption, narcotics trade, and serious criminal investigations, rather than policing morality.

“We shouldn't be moral policing, we should be upholding the rule of law only. Morality is also subjective,” he said.

To mitigate potential conflicts, Raveentharan suggested that government facilities make sarongs available for women, allowing temporary coverage if attire is deemed inappropriate.

“All government installations must now make sarongs available, especially for women, so if they come across with indecent attire, they can be given sarongs to cover up the exposed part,” he added.

Melaka police chief Datuk Dzulkhairi Mukhtar confirmed that an inquiry was launched following the complaint, and noted that the incident occurred in the late afternoon.

The two women complied with officers’ requests and were later able to lodge their report without further incident.

The lawyer’s comments highlight a growing debate over balancing public access to law enforcement services with enforcement of dress codes, calling for discretion and sensitivity at the rank-and-file level of the police force. - December 9, 2025