Malaysian MPs do not need to wear ties for a year in Parliament 

PETALING JAYA – Malaysian MPs will not be required to wear ties in the Lower House of Parliament for a year from Feb 13.

The change in the formal dress code comes as newly minted Speaker Johari Abdul attempts to bring both procedural and physical reforms to Parliament.

“I will announce on Feb 13, the first day of the session, no neckties for the whole year,” he told The Star.

On Dec 19, 2022, during a two-day special sitting, Datuk Johari made it optional for MPs to wear ties during the next day’s sitting.

The Dec 20 meeting was the first time that many MPs, including Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, did not wear a tie.

Members of the press covering parliamentary proceedings also ditched their ties that day.

MPs in the British Parliament stopped wearing ties in the House of Commons in 2017, while their New Zealand counterparts did away with theirs on Feb 2021.

On Dec 5, Datuk Seri Anwar’s unity government grabbed headlines when ministers were photographed without their ties after attending their first Cabinet meeting.

Asked whether the batik dress code for Thursday would remain, Mr Johari said “yes”.

In October 2021, the House Committee allowed MPs and senators to wear long-sleeved Malaysian batik shirts when attending the Upper and Lower House sittings on Thursdays.

While some MPs supported the no-tie move, others preferred to have theirs on.

Subang MP Wong Chen, from Mr Anwar’s Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), said: “Since Covid-19, the global office work culture has been moving towards dressing down. I will, however, elect to wear a tie more often than not. I am just used to wearing it, and it also gives a bit of formality and personality.”

Machang MP Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal said he would abide by Perikatan Nasional’s stand on whether its lawmakers should wear ties.

“Well, it’s up to them to make such rulings. As for me, I will abide by my party’s decision,” said the Bersatu youth chief.

Mr Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, MP for Kubang Kerian, stated that the issue was not whether lawmakers should wear ties or not, but rather that they should dress according to rules and ethics.

“The attire must be neat and cannot be all over the place. Not wearing a tie is not an issue as it is more suited to our weather,” he said.

Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim, however, said MPs should not use the new ruling to be absent during proceedings in the House with the excuse that it would be too cold.

In November 2019, Mr Mohamed Hanipa Maidin, then deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law), complained that it was difficult for MPs to remain in Parliament because the air-conditioning was too cold. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK