Netizens’ Perceptions Regarding Muslim-Unfriendly Dress Code for Clinical Personnel in Malaysia

Abstract

The employee’s right to freedom of religious expression at work and the institution’s right to implement a uniform dress code policy have created many conflicts, including in the context of healthcare. Healthcare institutions implement strict hygiene and infection control policy which may include the banning of long sleeves and headscarves. This practice may be problematic for female Muslim personnel who prefer to cover their forearms, hair and necks. In the Malaysian healthcare sector, two events involving the alleged headscarf ban (in 2013) and long sleeves ban (in 2015) made national headlines that attracted many netizens to comment on the issue. This qualitative study thematically analyses the netizens’ perceptions of the issue shared on various online platforms. Netizens expressed numerous opinions regarding the alleged bans, the clinical dress code policy, the Islamic dress code, the status of religion and Islam in Malaysia and the healthcare sector, the status of Malays and non-Malays in Malaysia, and the pro- and anti-Islamic trends. The findings demonstrate various conflicting opinions regarding the above issues in Malaysia which highlight the need for guidelines or frameworks for the harmonisation between employees’ personal convictions and the institutions’ interests.