"Clothes that poke the eye" are definitely banned for employees of the Malaysian Ministry of Defence (MOD) regardless of which language is used to communicate this rule.
But, the ministry's strict dress code still raises eyebrows for some, even if its written in perfect Bahasa Malaysia.
Non-military male employees are not allowed to show up for work in an untucked baju Melayu, a men's suit or kopiah. Women on the other hand, can't wear jubah (long blouse with pants). Other banned attire include skirts above the knee and tight-fitting baju kebaya.
The dress code has split opinion, with some people questioning its rigidity and others in support of it.
Sisters in Islam communications officer Akmal Zulkifli told Yahoo! Malaysia says staff should be allowed to wear clothes that are comfortable for them, provided these are appropriate attire for work.
"What one dresses should not determine the quality of work one does, nor does it determine the output and productivity of a person."
She added that dress codes should not be so controlling as to impinge on a person's right to express his or her religious or cultural beliefs freely.
Subang Jaya assemblyman Hannah Yeoh concurs with Akmal, finding the restrictions on national dress, such as the baju kebaya and religious cap incomprehensible.
"These attire are synonymous with the Malaysian people. The policy seems to allow for 'national dress by race', but somehow places restrictions on certain 'national dress'."
Others, like retiree Y. S Tee and project manager Eliza Rahman, however, find nothing offensive about the types of outfits banned by the MOD.
A ministry spokesperson told Yahoo! Malaysia the civilian employee dress code was created to ensure a high level of professionalism in the workplace.
"The tight-fitting kebaya is a sexy outfit but certainly not for the work environment. There is a time and place for everything. Employees should also appear sharp and not scruffy," she said, adding that each ministry or government agency would probably have a similar dress code for its employees.
Lawyer and legal online journal Loyarburok manager Fahri Azzat, disagrees with MOD, simply because he believes that efforts to maintain professionalism should not just be focussed on attire, but on policies, tender processes and the code of conduct in the MOD.
Writer Evie Kamaruddin, meanwhile, emphasises that the ministry should pay more attention on the national defence system rather than banning how their staff wear national dresses.
All civil servants are subjected to these type of codes, depending on which agency or ministry they served. Former teacher Sheila Ganesan did not balk at the strict attire code because she is used to the treatment.
"Many of my non-Muslim friends and I have been called out on our apparel by the religious teachers and principals when it does not appease their sense of dressing, even when it complied with the given guidelines," she remarked.
Lawyer Dara Waheda feels having a dress code is acceptable for workplaces, says MOD should be gender neutral, with less emphasis on how women dress.
"It is discriminating and unconstitutional when it (guidelines) requires women to wear clothes that shows "akhlak mulia" (reflect good character) when it's not imposed on the male employes."
There are also those that believe the serious nature of the MOD must be reflected in its workplace.
The Civil Servants Union (Cuepacs) president Datuk Omar Osman sees the code as a new approach in presenting a smarter and sharper image of the civil workforce in 2012.
"Since the civilian employees are working in a highly disciplined institution, these rules reflect that. But we urge the MOD not to be overly rigid and allow some flexibility."
Women's rights group Empower executive director Maria Chin Abdullah does not believe the MOD was being unreasonable as it was aiming to reflect a strict and disciplined workplace, just as any other government agency would when determining codes of attire for its staff.
"I think these MOD guidelines are quite reasonable, bearing in mind that this ministry is not just any government agency, but one that overseas the military," remarked sub-editor Y.F. Fung.
He reasons that if MOD employees get away with shabby or inappropriate dressing, no one would treat the ministry seriously.
On the other hand, professionals working in private businesses and multi-national companies find strict clothing rules bit hard to stomach.
Ally Bakri suggests MOD impose a uniform for civilian employees as well if attire regulation was important at the ministry, saving time and resources on developing new rules.
James Lim, a manager working with a telecommunications firm felt it was too vague to just ban clothes that "appear to be for beach and parties", leaving too much to subjective interpretation and disputes.
A. Mustapha works in an international company and does not believe non-Muslims should be subjected to same rules as Muslims.
"But really, if they (MOD) wants the staff to "tutup aurat" (cover intimate parts of a body), "tutup kepala terus" lah (just cover the entire head)," she quipped.
These are Mindef's guidelines with regards to office wear. What do you think of it? Share your thoughts.