Well, Malaysia is once again making international headlines for all the wrong reasons. In the wake of politicians cancelling the previously approved Better Beer Festival back in October, which was followed by UMNO Sungai Besar Chief Jamal Yunos taking a sledgehammer to several cases of beer stacked outside the Selangor State Secretariat’s office in a widely criticised stunt, it seems the latest target of certain quarters within Malaysia’s ruling party is flight attendants. Or more specifically, female flight attendants.

Two politicians from the ruling party criticised AirAsia and Firefly for having crew outfits that are “too revealing,” The New Straits Times reported earlier this week.

Senator Abdullah Mat Yasim, a division chief of the UMNO party, was reported as saying the female flight attendants’ uniforms could “arouse passengers” – particularly younger ones – and that they did not represent Malaysia’s official status as a Muslim country.

“The Malaysian Aviation Commission must really look into this,” said Senator Abdullah during a parliamentary debate on the MAVCOM (Amendment) Bill 2017 on 18 December.

Senator Megat Zulkarnain Omardin agreed with this viewpoint, suggesting the airlines consider redesigning the uniforms. “My wife is worried whenever I fly alone on Malindo or AirAsia,” he said, perhaps tongue-in-cheek. “This is a real hassle for me.”

Senator Abdullah went on to say he believes Malindo Air uniforms are “acceptable” – as, despite being tight-fitting, they cover the “sensitive areas” – but that Firefly and AirAsia’s are not. We cannot understand this comment, as we have flown all these airlines and are quite certain the cabin crew uniforms of all of them cover the “sensitive areas.”

This isn’t the first time cabin crew uniforms have taken centre stage. Just recently, Senator Hanafi Mamat was reported as arguing that cabin crew should wear uniforms that conform to Sharia Law as Malaysia is an Islamic country. He said that tourists could be given the wrong impression about Malaysia if flight attendants dress “sexily.”

It’s worth noting that all of these concerns are directed only at female flight attendants, and are only coming from men.

Judging by comments we have received, expats have a number of problems with this development, as do many Malaysians. First, AirAsia and Malindo are private companies, and their uniforms are their own business, so long as they do not run afoul of the law. It seems obvious that airlines want their cabin crew uniforms to convey professionalism and style, not “sexiness” and the flight attendants are certainly not there to “arouse” the passengers, as Senator Abdullah seems to fear. One reader commented, “Should every woman cover herself at work simply because this man seemingly lacks enough self-control to see women in public?”

Second, Malaysia is not, in fact, an Islamic country, which by the strict definition of the term would indicate a state with “a type of government primarily based on the application of Sharia (Islamic law), dispensation of justice, and maintenance of law and order.” Malaysia is a Muslim-majority country where Islam is the official state religion, but Islamic law is not generally applied in the courts here. Malaysia’s highest court settled this very issue over two decades ago in favour of the secular courts, and the decision has not been reversed to our knowledge.

Expats continue to voice concerns to us about what many see as the erosion of Malaysia’s long and admirable reputation as a moderate Muslim country, one that is respectful and tolerant of different faiths, opinions, and lifestyles. It seems scarcely a week can go by without a news story reflecting the truth that this moderate, tolerant outlook is increasingly under attack by a small, but vocal minority.

From issues with alcohol to separate facilities for Muslims and non-Muslims – and now such open criticism of Malaysia’s flight attendants, who we regard as classy, professional assets to the country’s aviation industry – all do nothing to improve and strengthen the country’s reputation. Rather, they diminish it. This latest folly has reached UK newspapers already, and attracted plenty of scornful comments.

Our opinion? We feel the uniforms of all four Malaysian airlines – Malaysia, AirAsia, Firefly, and Malindo – are sharp, appropriate, and classy. It’s clear the crewmembers themselves take pride in the way the uniforms look, too. AirAsia, in particular, gets our thumbs-up for having such smart uniforms for both male and female cabin crew despite being a budget airline. Malindo gets a nod for incorporating the traditional kebaya and sarong in its female cabin crew uniform, too. We think that if this small band of men find that they are uncontrollably tempted when they fly with a particular airline, they are always free to not book a flight with them. We would also gently point out to Senator Hanafi in his bid to have the country’s airlines conform to Sharia law that Malaysia already tried having a Sharia-compliant airline (Rayani Air), which failed rapidly and embarrassingly – and also made international headlines.

Comments have also brought about satirical responses too, with Fake Malaysia News’ article “AirAsia Introduces Stewardess Uniform Arousal Classes” being a humorous take on the situation.

Readers, what do you think? Do you think the cabin crew uniforms of AirAsia, Firefly, and Malindo are smart or, as has been suggested, “too sexy”? We’d especially love to hear from the flight attendants, too!