Thursday, not Tuesday: PM Anwar raps home minister for batik blunder in Parliament

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KUALA LUMPUR, July 2 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today admonished Home Minister Datuk Saifuddin Nasution Ismail for not adhering to the official dress code during the Dewan Rakyat session.

Answering questions during the Prime Minister’s Question Time (PMQT), Anwar said that Saifuddin Nasution should understand the dress code etiquette for parliamentary sessions, Malaysia Gazette said.

“I want to remind the home minister to follow the Parliament’s dress code rules,” Anwar said.

The incident began when Datuk Rosol Wahid (PN-Hulu Terengganu) stood up and pointed out that Saifuddin Nasution was wearing a batik shirt, which is not allowed on days other than Thursday, before asking his question during the PMQT session in the Dewan Rakyat.

“Before I ask my question, I want to inquire about the dress code in Parliament. Can batik be worn on Tuesdays? Because I see the home minister wearing batik today,” Rosol said.

Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul said he would comment after the PMQT session ended.

“Ask your question first, and I will comment on that later,” Malaysia Gazette reported Johari as saying.

For the record, batik attire is only permitted on Thursdays for ministers and civil servants, following a government relaxation of the dress code.

According to a government circular on the wearing of batik attire during working hours for civil servants dated August 21, 2023 all public service officers are required to wear Malaysian batik every Thursday, while its use on other working days is encouraged.