KUCHING, Dec 4 2025: Sarawak rights activist Peter John Jaban has joined Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) secretary-general Sebastian Ting in criticising the Inland Revenue Board (LHDN) office in Miri for unreasonably enforcing the dress code for people who want to transact business with the board.
Peter John Jaban: No agency has the authority to humiliate the rakyat or deny them essential services for wearing what is normal and acceptable in Sarawak.
He said it is culturally insensitive and unacceptable for the LHDN Miri to enforce the dress code for people entering its office.
“Sarawak will not tolerate any form of cultural arrogance or administrative bullying from any federal or state department,” Peter said in a statement.
He said the latest action by the board in denying service because of clothing is not just an isolated misstep, saying:” It is a dangerous signal that federal agencies feel entitled to impose Malayan-style moral policing on Sarawakians.”
Peter reminded LHDN that Sarawak is a sovereign partner in the formation of Malaysia, not a branch office that can be told how to dress, how to behave, or how to perform their daily lives according to rules imported from outside the state’s culture.
He said what the Miri LHDN did is not about professionalism, but about controlling and enforcing a moral standard that does not reflect Sarawak’s culture, identity, or way of life.
“Sarawak is home to more than 34 ethnic groups, with different attire, customs, and weather-appropriate clothing.
“No agency has the authority to humiliate the rakyat or deny them essential services for wearing what is normal and acceptable in Sarawak,” he said.
“If we allow one department to get away with this, others will follow and soon Sarawak will be subjected to a creeping form of moral policing that was never ours to begin with.
“Sarawak must draw a clear line that such treatment of our rakyat will not be tolerated in our state,” he said.
Peter, founder of Saya Anak Sarawak rights movement, demanded that all federal and state agencies to stop imposing non-statutory dress rules immediately.
He urged the the Sarawak government to defend its cultural autonomy and instruct all agencies including federal ones to respect Sarawak’s norms and traditions.
He said Putrajaya must stop exporting Malayan dress code culture into Sarawak, adding that Sarawakians should never be judged, denied service or belittled because of their attire.
“The public counters exist to serve the people and not to lecture them on clothing,” he stressed.
He said Sarawak is not a moral experiment, will not bow to dress code policing that has no place in its society and will not allow such practices to take root.
He said the case in Miri is not isolated one, saying that there were past incidents of such nature.
“These incidents show a consistent pattern of how the federal agencies operating in Sarawak feel being empowered to impose their own cultural values instead of respecting Sarawak’s diverse reality,” he said.
Peter said other departments have previously attempted to enforce arbitrary, non-statutory dress codes on the public, including Road Transport Department (JPJ) turning away members of the public for sleeveless attire or shorts.
He said complaints against Companies Commission of Malaysia (CCM) for refusing women to enter for due to dress code enforced by security personnel.
“We have also seen repeated incidents in Malaya where hospitals and clinics imposed dress code rules to the point of denying or restricting public access.
“There have already been multiple cases in Malaya where hospital and clinic staff enforced dress codes by turning people away or limiting access to essential services.
“This is not a dress - code issue, but a power issue,” Peter said.
Ting,who is also the Deputy Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts, yesterday criticised the board for enforcing strict dress code requirements at its Miri Urban Transformation Centre (UTC) office.
He reminded the federal agencies operating in Sarawak to respect the state’s multicultural character and avoid rigid rules that hinder public service.
