Moral policing: Socso suspends Rela personnel pending probe
The Social Security Organisation (Socso) has suspended a People’s Volunteer Corps (Rela) personnel who stopped a woman from entering its Penang office due to the skirt she was wearing.
Socso CEO Mohammed Azman said they viewed the “unforeseen” act by the Rela personnel seriously.
“Socso would like to emphasise that what happened was beyond the knowledge of management and that the Rela staff acted outside their scope of duty.
“Socso took immediate action against the personnel involved by demanding an explanation, and the person has been suspended from duty effective June 29, until an investigation into this case is completed,” Mohammed said in a statement today.
The matter was brought to light by Penang-based lawyer Ajit Singh Jessy, who said his female colleague was stopped by a guard from entering the Socso office along Jalan Burma on Wednesday.
His colleague, identified only as May, was accompanying him to register his maid under Socso.
He said May was wearing a knee-length skirt but the guard told her she should wear a skirt that reaches down to her feet.
“We asked him what was wrong since her skirt was up to her knees. He said that was the rule.
“After we persisted to know what was wrong with her skirt, he replied, ‘Ini kali ok. Lain kali tak boleh.’ (This time it’s okay, next time cannot),” Ajit said.
He added that no one took issue with May’s dressing once the pair entered the building.
“Since when do we have security guards being given the authority to enforce dress codes? I always thought their job was to guard the building.
“Please put a stop to this harassment of the public at government departments,” he said in a statement.
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