Malaysian lawmaker slammed for saying nurse uniforms too tight, reveal body shapes

Wan Razali Wan Nor from the Islamist PAS party urged the government to change the attire as it was too tight and not sharia-compliant

The Malaysian Medical Association said ‘it is a shame, when everyone is concerned about the future of healthcare’, the lawmaker was concerned about nurses’ dress code

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A Malaysian lawmaker was criticised for seeking revisions to the dress code for nurses. Photo: AP

Published: 12:20pm, 16 Jun 2023

Malaysian opposition lawmaker Wan Razali Wan Nor has come under fire from several organisations over his remark on nurses attire in parliament on Thursday, claiming it was too tight and not sharia-compliant.

“The uniforms worn by nurses are designed to be functional, to make it easier for them to carry out their duties, they are not too tight and adhere to the guidelines set by the Health Ministry,” said Malayan Nurses Union president Nor Hayati Abd Rashid.

She said the rules were clear, the uniforms could not be too tight and the length of the top must be below the waist and above the knee, which was the guideline by the Health Ministry.

“It is a major change compared to the 1980s when nurses used to wear skirts, but the dress code was changed to pants to be more sharia-compliant,” she explained.

While debating the White Paper of Public Health Reforms in parliament on Thursday, Razali from the Islamist PAS party said the government should consider changing the uniforms for nurses as they were too tight and not sharia-compliant.