PETALING JAYA: Staff of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) will have to follow a dress code that spells out their allowed attire in detail for certain days of the week.
For women, nail polish is out, perfumes must be subtle, and heels are limited to two inches.
The guidelines, which came into effect yesterday, is the latest news on UKM’s dress code, following a controversy that emerged just days ago when the university drew flak for barring graduates from wearing the cheongsam or saree during its convocation ceremony from Nov 26 till Dec 1.
Eventually, it revised the guidelines to say that graduates could wear the national costume at the ceremony.
The university’s latest dress code for its staff was outlined in a circular dated Oct 21.
Every Monday and Tuesday, male staff from Grade DG41 and above are required to wear lounge suits or bush jackets in the same colour and material, and at official events.
Ties are also required on these days and at such events, irrespective if they take place on or off campus.
“The end of the tie must reach the belt buckle. And the buckle chosen must be suitable for work,” the circular said.
Shoes need to be made of leather or similar material. They must be in black or dark shades and worn with socks.
According to the dress code, male staff at Grade DG40 and below are exempted from wearing coats but their shirts need to be long sleeved and in appropriate colours. However, it did not stipulate what it meant by “appropriate colours”.
On Thursdays, all male and female staff are required to wear batik Malaysia, a rule similar to the one applied at all government agencies on Thursdays.
As for the women, they are required to be in “long-sleeved blouses or tops that end at the hips with full-length skirts or pants.”
“If not wearing a headscarf (tudung), their hair must be combed neatly and tied.” These requirements apply to female staff of all categories.
Like their male counterparts, their shoes need to be made of leather or similar material, black or in dark colours. The heels cannot be more than two inches.
These are required every Monday, Tuesday and Friday.
“The corporate shirt needs to be worn with black long skirt or pants every Wednesday,” it said, adding that batik Malaysia is a must on Thursdays.
Their headscarves also need to cover their chest and be suitable for office wear. No nail polish is allowed except for henna (inai), and makeup must be kept minimal.
Perfumes need to be delicate so as not to nauseate.
According to the circular on the dress code, which was sighted by The Star, the stringent dress code is enforced for staff across the board.
“These guidelines are intended to explain the implementation of the staff dress code guidelines at UKM,” said the circular signed by UKM registrar Datuk Dr Syed Kamarudin Sadakkuthulla.
The Star has reached out to UKM for comments on the dress code but has yet to receive a response.
