Citing safety, KL courts ban veiling face
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The signboard at the KL court lists a number of prohibitions, including the purdah, short skirts, slippers and weapons. ― Picture by Boo Su-LynKUALA LUMPUR, Jan 13 ― The Kuala Lumpur court has banned the purdah, or veils worn by Muslim women that leave only the eyes exposed, for safety reasons, citing a previous bomb threat at the Putrajaya courts.
Mohd Hirman Ab Raub, senior assistant registrar at the Kuala Lumpur court’s administration and enforcement division, said the purdah ban was to ensure that everyone could be identified clearly.
“This is for safety purposes so that we know who enters the court,” Mohd Hirman told Malay Mail Online when met at the court complex here yesterday.
However, he also said the ban had been enforced for the past three to four years, even before a bomb threat was made at the Palace of Justice in Putrajaya ― the complex that also houses the Federal Court and Court of Appeal ― one and a half years ago.
He added that the bomb threat at the Putrajaya courts turned out to be a hoax.
Bomb threats were also made at the Malaysian Bar’s extraordinary general meeting on the Sedition Act 1948 last September and at the Shah Alam court complex in 2013. Both turned out to be false.
Mohd Hirman said today that the Kuala Lumpur court has yet to receive complaints on women wearing the purdah during open court sessions.
The court official also said signboards were erected throughout the court complex early last year to remind the public of the purdah ban and other long-standing prohibitions in open court like skirt lengths above the knee, sleeveless tops and slippers.
“We wanted to avoid incidents of the judge calling out members of the public. It happens all the time when people dress indecently, such as women wearing sleeveless tops or skirts that are too short or tight,” said Mohd Hirman.
The signboards, which are placed outside the court complex and inside the building on almost every floor, also list bans on weapons, safety helmets and loudhailers in the courtroom during public court sessions.
The ban further includes cameras and recording devices, eating and drinking, smoking, making noise, and leaving one’s mobile phone on.
The Kuala Lumpur court also requires witnesses and the public to dress decently in open court, while lawyers and prosecutors are mandated to follow their dress codes.
Children below 12 years old are not allowed to enter open court without permission either, while those who enter the courtroom are required to bow their heads upon entry and exit and to sit without crossing one’s legs during public court sessions.
