Terengganu officials today denied that the PAS-controlled state government had imposed a dress code for non-Muslim women working in the private sector as reported in the media recently.

Menteri Besar Abdul Hadi Awang's special assistant Ng Chai Hin said the new guideline had merely advised the women to dress decently.

"The news reports that there is a new ruling of an Islamic dress code for non-Muslim workers are untrue. There is only a guideline which requires Muslim workers to cover their aurah as according to Islam while, non Muslims are advised to dress decently," he said when contacted.

Ng stressed that neither the municipal council nor state officials can force non-Muslims to follow the Muslim way of dressing.

"We can't comment on the state's request for Muslims to cover their aurah but the same dress code does not apply to non-Muslims," he added.

Lodge complaint

He also assured that the state will not hesitate to initiate investigations if a non-Muslim was unfairly treated under the new guideline.

"Although that is unlikely to happen, I urge any non-Muslim who has been forced to adopt the Islamic dressing guideline to lodge an official complaint with me or any officers and we will bring it up to the mentri besar," he said.

Ng believed that the new guideline was merely an attempt to create a harmonious working condition as 'indecently' dressed workers can cause discomfort.

"How can the state force non-Muslims to follow the Muslims dress code? This is untrue. The press always blows small things out of proportion to create animosity among the locals here," he added.

Nothing unusual

Kuala Terengganu Municipal Council president Dr Sulaiman Abdullah clarified to that the'dress code' reported by the media was actually a guideline for business owners applying or renewing permits for their business premises.

"We have not set up a dress code. There is no dress code. Others always try to sensationalise issues to our disadvantage. The truth is that it is one of the usual guidelines imposed to business people who wants to operate in Kuala Terengganu," he said.

He felt that the there was nothing unusual in the guideline as workers in the government sector and those who have dealings with them were also required to dress decently.

"Isn't that what is normally expected when you are doing official work? For example when you enter the state assembly and the Parliament you are required to dress decently," he pointed out.

For men too

Meanwhile, the menteri besar's press secretary Zahari Muhammad said the guideline was not only for female workers but also applied to men.

"Men are not exempted from the guideline. If (there are) men who come bare-chested to office, we can take action against them, I can assure you," he said.

"Other people also insinuate that we treat the women unfairly which is untrue. Just ask the women workers here and they can tell you the real thing," he added.

On Tuesday, PAS' ally-turned-nemesis DAP had threatened to sue the former if it imposed a dress code for non-Muslims.