In yet another case of attire policing, an elderly man found himself being barred from entering a hospital in Penang for wearing a pair of shorts.
To top it off, he was also reportedly given a dressing-down on how his attire had allegedly violated the Rukun Negara.
72yo M’sian Man Not Allowed To Enter Hospital Just Because He Wore Shorts
Speaking to FMT about the incident, 72-year-old Lim Thean Heng said he went to the Seberang Jaya Hospital on Monday (Dec 11) to visit his brother-in-law.
According to a photo provided to the news portal, he wore a T-shirt, shorts that fell above his knees, and sports shoes but found himself unable to enter the hospital due to the shorts.
I was flabbergasted. I asked the security guard what the problem was with wearing shorts. I was given no explanation and barred from entering.
“I was then referred to an infographic on the hospital’s visitor dress code, which barred shorts, singlets, short skirts and sleeveless tops,” he said.
‘It’s based on the Rukun Negara’
Dissatisfied with the security guard’s actions, Lim raised the matter with at the hospital’s complaints counter, where an officer told him that he would allow him to enter “just this once” at his own discretion.
However, Lim retorted and told the officer that it “should not be just this once, but forever”.
“Later, I met with an officer in charge of the hospital’s security and asked him what was the basis for the dress code and he told me it was according to the Rukun Negara.
“I wasn’t allowed to enter (the hospital) by the same security guard who stopped me earlier despite me being given permission ‘just this once’. She eventually gave way only after a supervisor was called.
This is a ruling by a Little Napoleon. Who set it? There shouldn’t be such a ruling for members of the public,” he said.
Misunderstanding the cause for dispute
The issue soon came to the attention of Penang health committee chairman Daniel Gooi Zi Sen, who expressed regret over it and said that miscommunication was what sparked the controversy.
“Hospital Seberang Jaya has undergone an investigation and found out that it was due to miscommunication between the security personnel and the complainant.
“Further action will be taken to prevent this incident from recurring and do not let this isolated incident tarnish the reputation of our healthcare system, as all our medical personnels are working very hard to ensure Penangites receive quality treatment,” he said as quoted by The Star.
Last week, another man in Penang claimed he was told to change his pants before he could lodge a police report over a broken car window:
