Two women - inlcuding a journalist - were told to put on sarong by a security guard before they were allowed into the Selangor State Secretariat (SUK) building in Shah Alam today.

However, the two refused to accept the offered sarong and instead found other ways to enter the building.

One of them, Tan Lee Fong, who wore a black knee-length jersey dress used her scarf to cover her legs but took it off after she entered the building.

"I thought what I wore was quite formal, but the guard told me it's too short," she said.

Tan said the guard told her there were dress code guidelines posted around the entrances, but she did not see them until they were pointed out to her by the guard.

The other woman, New Straits Times reporter C Premananthini was also stopped by the security guard when she tried to register for a visitor's pass.

"He said, 'Puan, if you don't mind, your dress is too short. Can I give you a sarong to wear?

"I said, what is this? Is this another Road Transport Department (RTD) incident?" Premananthini recalled.

Refusing to wear the sarong, she decided to drive to another entrance at the building.

This time, she did not bother to stop to register as a visitor. She just drove straight in and parked her car, where she entered the building with no fuss.

RTD incident prompted public outcry

On 8 June, a woman had posted on Facebook about her experience at a RTD office.

She claimed she was forced to wear a sarong before being allowed to be served at the counters.

This prompted public outcry and the RTD eventually apologised for the sarong incident.

Tan and Premananthini were at the SUK building to attend a press conference held by MP Klang on behalf of some Klang residents who were submitting a memorandum.

Santiago (photo ) was outraged by the incident, criticising the guards for asking the women to wear sarong to enter the building.

"Security guards have no business doing moral policing. Their work is not to look at women's legs," he said.

He said this is a sexist act, calling it "clear gender discrimination".

Santiago also brought up the RTD incident, asking why this is happening again after RTD had already apologised.

Meanwhile, a senior state officer told Malaysiakini there is no directive with regard to wearing a sarong.

He added that the incident is being investigated.