Another shop in Johor puts up Malay-only notices

JOHOR BARU — Another shop has appeared in Johor with a “Malays only” business policy, two months after the state ruler’s stinging rebuke of a self-service laundromat which barred non-Muslim customers.

The latest shop sells Japanese healthcare and home products at the Malay-majority Larkin Perdana neighbourhood, about 2km from state capital Johor Baru.

It has displayed a Malay language notice stating that only Malaysians who are ethnic Malays are allowed to enter its premise and that Bahasa Malaysia will be used to conduct its “promotion sessions.”

Another notice in Chinese requested Chinese customers to patronise its other outlets that cater to the community.

Defending the company’s practice, the shop manager told Chinese daily China Press that it was not practising “racial discrimination”, noting that having different premises that cater to different races was merely a “marketing strategy.”

This is because it is trying to expand its market base to include more Malay and Indian patrons.

As such, it has set up outlets in Ipoh (Perak), Kuala Lumpur and Johor where they only use Bahasa Malaysia.

The manager, who was not named, said the company has one outlet in the port city of Klang in Selangor that use Chinese as its main medium of communication.

This latest shop is believed to be the second business establishment in Johor that prohibits non-Malays or non-Muslims from its premise.

Johor Ruler Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar had in September ordered a launderette in Muar to stop its Muslim only discriminatory practice, saying Johor was not a Taliban state and that the laundry operator was free to move to Afghanistan if he disagreed.

The laundry operator has since open his business to all following the royal dressing down and had apologised for his actions.

He said he made the business decision following requests from his regular customers, majority of whom are Muslims. AGENCIES