KUALA LUMPUR – A local woman has cried foul after being denied entry by a security guard, citing inappropriate attire, and allegedly subjected to racial slurs at the Sultanah Aminah Hospital (HSA) in Johor today.
Carol Yong, a local photographer, recounted her distressing experience on X yesterday, stating that despite her urgent need to meet with doctors, she was barred from entering the hospital due to wearing knee-length shorts.
“I’m wondering why guards at HSA refused me entry, on the basis of me wearing shorts – skimming the knee – despite me making it clear that the (doctors) were requesting my immediate presence?
“The guard yelled and said, ‘This is a government hospital’. I said the doctors were looking for me, but nope, no entry until the nurses gave me a pair of patient pants.
“To add to it, the guard shouted, ‘All Indians (and) Chinese are like pigs’,” Yong said in an X thread.
Yong expressed her dismay at the guard’s behaviour and filed a formal complaint. She noted the guard’s persistent monitoring of her activities during her brief presence in the hospital.
Subsequently, Yong updated her post, revealing that HSA’s corporate communications department had reached out to her, arranging a meeting with the guard, during which both the guard and the hospital apologised for the incident.
Speaking to Scoop, Yong commended the hospital’s swift response, stating that they addressed her concerns promptly.
Yong recounted the meeting, where the guard acknowledged making racial remarks but denied using derogatory language like “babi” (pig).
“I highlighted during the meeting that even if we were to put aside the word ‘babi’ and disregard it, the fact that the guard admitted to saying something that began with the phrase ‘All Indians and Chinese are…’ is in itself racial and prejudicial in nature,” she said.
“The hospital said the guards are supposed to use discretion and logic when enforcing rules. It is interesting to note that they clarified that the Health Ministry itself does not enforce a dress code.”
She highlighted that the hospital clarified that the Health Ministry does not mandate a strict dress code and urged guards to exercise discretion.
Last year, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dzulkefly Ahmad emphasised prioritising patient care over clothing.
Yong’s post evoked varied responses from netizens. While some condemned the guard’s behaviour, asserting hospitals should be inclusive, others criticised Yong for her attire, injecting racial elements into their comments. – March 21, 2024