Pants not long enough? Malaysian woman stopped from renewing passport because of 'short' pants

Who would have thought a pair of capri pants would be so offensive?

A Malaysian woman from Air Kuning, Perak was banned from entering the Teluk Intan Immigration Office yesterday (Sept 4) morning because her attire was deemed inappropriate.

The woman, a 47-year-old hawker identified as Zou, was sporting a pink t-shirt and a pair of black capri pants which went past her knees, but that wasn't enough.

It was reported by Malaysian media that she was at the immigration office at 9.50am and was stopped by security at the entrance because her pants did not fully cover her calves.

While the building had a sign advising public on the appropriate apparel, only shorts and short skirts were prohibited. There was nothing indicating that long pants which completely covered up the legs were required.

She pointed out that her knees were covered and therefore, the pants were long enough. She also pleaded with the officers to make an exception because she lived 30 minutes away from the immigration office and it was inconvenient for her to make another trip to and fro.

Her pleas were ignored as officers said that there were CCTVs everywhere and there was nothing they could do.

However, she managed to enter the office, only to be rejected by the officer at the counter who refused to process her application.

Zou said: "They told me to wear long pants or get a sarong to cover it up. They also said that if I was unhappy, I could fill up the form and make a complaint. They even handed me the form."

In the end, Zou had to make a trip to the nearest shopping centre to buy a pair of pants before she could enter the immigration office.

After the incident, a disgruntled Zou lodged a complaint with the Teluk Intan Municipal Council chairman, Kong Sun Chin, and requested that the sign be updated lest other members of the public be inconvenienced.

Kong agreed, noting that the length of Zou's pants was appropriate and she should have been allowed in. He also said that the sign should be updated and the requirements should be clearer.

bryanlim@asiaone.com