[Watch] Shorts Too Short: Mother And Daughter Nearly Blocked From Voting In Johor

A mother and daughter in Muar were briefly stopped from voting because their shorts did not reach the knee — while voters in similar attire walked in without issue at another Johor polling station the same morning.

China Press/Oriental Daily

In Brief

A mother and daughter in Johor were nearly blocked from voting because their shorts did not reach the knees.
School security guards at SMK Taman Universiti also turned voters away based on the school's own dress code, not election law.
The EC clarified that the only legal clothing restriction at polling stations is a ban on political symbols or candidate imagery.

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A Malaysian Chinese mother and daughter were briefly blocked from entering a polling station in the Maharani state constituency in Muar this morning (11 July) after an election official objected to their attire.

The two women, wearing shorts that did not reach the knees, were stopped at the entrance.

An argument followed before the pair proceeded to complete their registration and cast their votes.

Had the women not pushed back, they would have been turned away from exercising their constitutional right over a hemline.

A female election official told China Press that the Election Commission (EC) requires shorts worn to polling stations to cover the knees.

Other voters in shorts were allowed entry as their clothing met the requirement.

However, at a polling station in Pontian, large numbers of Chinese voters in shorts and flip-flops were seen entering without any issue, China Press reported.

Guards Enforced School Rules, Not Election Law

This was not an isolated case.

At SMK Taman Universiti in Johor Bahru, a separate incident saw a number of voters blocked by school security guards over attire that did not meet the school’s own entry requirements.

EC deputy chairman Azmi Sharom said the commission had stepped in to resolve the matter.

The only restriction is clothing displaying a political party logo or a candidate’s image. There is no such dress code.

He added that all eligible voters have the right to exercise their vote.

Under the Election Offences Act 1954, the only clothing restriction that applies at polling stations is the prohibition on wearing, carrying, or displaying items bearing a candidate’s name, party logo, or political symbol within 50 metres of a polling centre.

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