Cabin crew’s outfit ‘revealing’? Then avert your eyes

KUALA LUMPUR — Those who find the outfit of Malaysian flight attendants too revealing can just look away, Transport Minister Anthony Loke told the Malaysian parliament on Wednesday (Aug 1).

The Seremban Member of Parliament (MP) was responding to remarks by Tumpat MP Datuk Che Abdullah Mat Nawi from Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS), who said the uniforms of flight attendants of Malaysian airliners were too revealing as compared to the outfits of other international airlines.

“I don’t have a comment on this because whether it is revealing or not, then the eyes should stray away from looking at the stewardess.

“This is a subjective matter. Just don’t look at the stewardess,” said Mr Loke.

He said airline companies are free to choose the uniform of their choice as long as it fulfills two criteria — the outfit is suitable to perform duties during emergency evacuations, and the decision is made by the companies to suit its corporate image.

In response to Mr Loke’s winding up speech on the Royal Address, Rantau Panjang MP Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff had said she had heard the same answers for many years and questioned whether revealing outfits would meet the safety requirements of the airline.

“We are aware that this is not a new policy and there is nothing new, but there are no plans to change the existing policies on the dressing of stewards and stewardesses. The image and outfit depends on the airline company,” he said.

When Kuala Nerus MP Mohd Khairuddin Aman Razali asked if Malaysia Airlines plans to introduce a dress code that would allow Muslim stewardesses to wear the head cover, Mr Loke said he would need to discuss with them and reiterated that there would not be any change of policy for now.

Mr Loke said airline companies are currently required to abide by the safety standards, which include emergency evacuation in a certain period of time, which has been set by the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia and the International Civil Aviation Organisation. MALAY MAIL