Sasha Lyna Abdul Latiff, the deputy chairman of the party’s legal and constitution bureau, said the council had “no power to regulate clothing or morality”.

“Firstly, Section 34(2)(b) of the Business and Industrial Trade By-Laws 2019 is void, as it exceeds the powers given to the council under Section 102 of the Local Government Act 1976 to make by-laws.

“Section 102 of the Local Government Act only permits the council to make by-laws pertaining to ‘health, safety and well-being’,” she said in a statement.

Earlier today, the New Straits Times reported that a 35-year-old business owner was issued a notice by MPKB during a spot check at her shop for wearing a t-shirt and shorts in a public place.

MPKB president Rosnazli Amin was quoted as saying that the woman committed an offence under Section 34(2)(b) of the Business and Industrial Trade By-Laws 2019, which states that non-Muslim business owners and their non-Muslim employees must wear “decent clothes”.

According to the compound notice, which has gone viral on social media, the woman has seven days to settle the fine or face legal action.

Sasha also claimed that the word “decent” in Section 34(2)(b) was vague and open to interpretation.

“It is unfair to subject the woman to a fine when the definition of the offence is unclear,” she said, adding that the standard imposed on Muslim women, which is to cover the “aurat”, cannot be imposed on non-Muslims.

Sasha said that to establish that the clothes were “indecent” would require a certain degree of indecency extending beyond simply wearing a t-shirt and shorts, such as partial nudity.

“This is clearly not the case here,” she added.

She said the best course of action would be for the local council to cancel the summons and suspend the operation of Section 34(2)(b) pending review by the state authorities or exco.