YOURSAY | ‘This is simply a matter of hospital rules and there are specific reasons for this.’

I was fired for wearing long-sleeved uniform, claims nurse

Gerard Lourdesamy: The constitution does not prescribe any sort of dress code, Islamic or otherwise. Neither does the constitution say that we are an Islamic state or that Islamic law is superior to the constitution.

This is a simple industrial relations dispute. The claimant can go to the Labour Department or the Industrial Relations Department and lodge a complaint. There is no need for the Malaysian Muslim Consumers Association (PPIM) to muddy the waters by harping on race and religion.

Soon the Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, Sikhs and atheists will have their own consumer associations as well. What has religion got to do with consumer protection?

Dr Patricia A Martinez: Something troubles me. There is a lack of logic in this ‘uproar’ and ‘grievance’.

If the nurse was in fact rolling up her sleeves as she claims, then she was in fact showing her aurat, which means that she had no problem doing so.

But now she is claiming that she wanted to be modest and is being sacked for that. So which is it?

If she had consistently rolled up her sleeves to the hygienic short-sleeved length required, then she surely would have no problem wearing the short-sleeved uniform?

Which makes one wonder why she did not. In which case, she breached the rules. And as such, her employers have every right to terminate her.

Aries46: “Prior to her dismissal, she said, the hospital did not state that long-sleeved uniforms were not allowed.”

What matters is what was said prior to her appointment - was she allowed to use a long-sleeved uniform? This is simply a matter of hospital rules and there are specific reasons for this.

If Naziah Sauni Samat had reservations about her uniform due to her religious needs, she should have sorted it at the time of her appointment instead of defying the management afterwards, which amounts to insubordination.

Since she contends that it is allowed in Kuala Lumpur Hospital, why did she seek employment where short-sleeves is disallowed?

Pisasu 7: Any management will not sack a hardworking person, you have every right to wear clothes according to your belief, so look for a place that suits you rather than other way around.

Or work in a department where you don't come into contact with people at all.

Pemerhati: Let us assume that everything that Naziah and her backers PPIM say is true and the hospital is guilty of discrimination against her because she wore the Islamic dress. She and her backers are angry because of the discrimination.

Now look at how more than 10 million non-Malays have been discriminated against because they are not Malays and Muslims for about half a century and millions have migrated because of that.

The original agreement in 1957 was that the Malays because of their backwardness would have special privileges for 15 years to help them to catch up with the other races.

But that agreement has been changed and in its place we now have apartheid-like discrimination against the non-Malays.

On closer examination it would appear that Naziah and PPIM are in the wrong as they have not complied with the rules and regulations of the employer which all employees are required to follow and there is no discrimination unlike that suffered by the non-Malays.

Aryan: Naziah, you as nurse will have to interact with all types of patients, both male and female. You are expected to serve them irrespective of your religious belief and theirs.

If you are not up to the rigours of this profession go and find some other job. Dress codes in a hospital have a purpose and have to be followed.

If government hospitals allow long sleeves, they are certainly breaching fundamental principles of infection control. Many hospitals do not allow doctors to wear the white coats in the ward for risk of infection.

Many doctors do not wear tie either for the same reason. In any case, white coat and tie serve no useful function as a dress in the medical field.

The present hospital uniform actually serves no purpose. Nurses wear the uniform from home to the hospital and then back to the home. They carry the infectious material from outside into the hospitals and carry the germs back to their home.

Nurses should be banned from wearing uniforms out of the hospital. When they are working, they should wear scrub suits which must be removed before leaving the hospital.

It should be the responsibility of the hospital to ensure these infected scrub suits are properly laundered for reuse. Under no circumstances should the scrub suits be taken home.

Anon1: Religion must give way to professionalism, ethics, code, hygiene, safety measures, etc.

If one insists that their work conditions offends their religion and beliefs, there is only one option available; quit the job and find one that is compatible with your religion and beliefs.

My personal opinion is that our obsession with religion is getting out of hand. Don't kill, don't rape, don't steal and don't defecate at your neighbour's (or victim's) property and you should get along fine.

Otherwise, our government would not have passed all those repressive laws and would have left everything to God.

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