A senior citizen attempting to visit his brother-in-law at a public hospital faced a surprising setback when he was turned away for wearing inappropriate pants and was subsequently lectured on the Rukun Negara. Lim Thean Heng, a 72-year-old retired engineer, had arrived at Seberang Jaya Hospital wearing a T-shirt, shorts above the knee, and sports shoes on Monday afternoon. 

Expressing his astonishment, Lim explained that he was denied entry without any explanation, only to be directed to an infographic detailing the hospital's visitor dress code, which prohibited shorts, singlets, short skirts, and sleeveless tops.

Lim voiced his concerns at the hospital's complaints counter, where an officer, using discretion, allowed him entry "just this once." Unsatisfied with this temporary resolution, Lim sought clarification on the dress code from the security officer in charge. To his surprise, the officer claimed that the dress code was in accordance with the Rukun Negara, a national ideology in Malaysia. Despite being permitted entry "just this once," Lim was later stopped by the same security guard, forcing him to involve a supervisor before being allowed access.

Critiquing the situation, Lim referred to the incident as an arbitrary ruling by what he described as a "Little Napoleon," questioning the basis for such regulations and asserting that they should not apply to the general public. As of now, FMT has not received responses from the hospital, state health department, or health ministry regarding the matter. This incident follows previous cases where visitors to government hospitals faced denial based on alleged violations of dress codes, prompting a call for clarity and consistency in these regulations.