Lim Thean Heng, 72, was wearing a T-shirt, shorts that fell above his knees, and sports shoes when he arrived at Seberang Jaya Hospital on Monday afternoon.

“I was flabbergasted,” the retired engineer told FMT. “I asked the security guard what the problem was with wearing shorts. I was given no explanation and barred from entering,” he said.

Lim said he was then referred to an infographic on the hospital’s visitor dress code, which barred shorts, singlets, short skirts and sleeveless tops.

He then brought up the matter at the hospital’s complaints counter, with an officer telling him that he would use his discretion and allow him to enter “just this once”.

“I told him it should not be ‘just this once’, but forever,” Lim said.

When he met an officer in charge of security at the hospital, he asked the basis for the dress code and the man replied: “This dress code is according to the Rukun Negara.”

Lim was later refused entry by the same security guard who had stopped him, despite being allowed to enter “just this once”. She gave way only after a supervisor was summoned.

“This is a ruling by a Little Napoleon. Who set it? There shouldn’t be such a ruling for members of the public,” he said.

FMT has yet to hear back from the hospital, state health department, or health ministry on the issue.

In March, an elderly female visitor was denied entry by a security guard for wearing calf-length trousers at Kuantan Hospital. The authorities reportedly said it was due to a “misunderstanding of the dress code”.

The month before, a woman in Perak claimed she was denied treatment at the emergency room at Kampar Hospital for coming in with shorts.

Checks show that several government hospitals have imposed dress codes on visitors, with Temerloh Hospital putting up a post on their website listing dos and don’ts to visitors.