Malaysian government to review dress code for frontline services after police report incident

Malaysia’s government has announced it will re-examine its dress-code rules for frontline services — including police stations — after a woman was reportedly denied entry to lodge a report because her skirt was deemed too short.

mm.jpg

File photo of Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil. PHOTO: THE STAR

December 11, 2025

KUALA LUMPUR – The Chief Secretary to the Government will review the Cabinet’s proposal regarding exemptions of the dress code for frontline services such as healthcare and security facilities, it was revealed.

Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil (pic) said yesterday’s Cabinet meeting, among other things, proposed that seve­ral frontline services including at police stations and other government premises, be exempted from the government circular dated Dec 1, 2020.

“Recently, an issue arose where an individual was rep­or­tedly denied entry to file a police report due to a clothing issue, so the Chief Secretary to the Government will review the circular and make some improvements,” he told a a press conference at the lobby of the ­Par­lia­ment buil­ding yesterday, Bernama repor­ted.

Fahmi, who is also the government spokesman, said further statements and new circulars will be issued in the near future after the review is complete.

“But the Prime Min­is­ter’s view is that on security issues invol­ving police stations, for those who wish to make a report, there should be no circumstances that prevent them from making one,” he said.

Melaka police chief Datuk Dzulkhairi Mukhtar had said that a woman was not allowed to enter a district police head­quarters on Monday as she had vio­lated the dress code for ­government premises.

The woman came to the police station with her daughter to file a report because they were invol­ved in a road accident earlier that day.

However, they were not allo­w­ed to enter the police station because the length of their skirts were above the knee.

scroll to top