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<\/div>\nWhile Jahabar Shalih is Indian, his wife Farah Nadya is Indian-Malay.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Singapore: <\/b><\/p>\n
A leading supermarket has apologised after stopping an Indian-origin Muslim couple from tasting its complimentary snacks provided during Ramzan, saying that those were only for Malays, according to a media report.<\/p>\n
Jahabar Shalih, 36, and his wife Farah Nadya, 35, said a male employee at the supermarket run by the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) on April 9 \u201cshooed\u201d them away from the snack stand when they were doing their usual grocery shopping with their two young children, Channel News Asia reported on Monday.<\/p>\n
While Jahabar is Indian, his wife Farah is Indian-Malay.<\/p>\n
Farah had on Sunday recounted the “distasteful” encounter in a Facebook post, which has garnered more than 500 reactions.<\/p>\n
Jahabar told the Channel on Monday that he had decided to check out the \u2018Iftar Bites station’ in the supermarket after his wife alerted him to the initiative.<\/p>\n
FairPrice Group rolled out its Iftar Bites station on March 23, offering complimentary beverages with snacks or dates at 60 of its outlets to Muslim customers during the month-long Ramzan period.<\/p>\n
As part of the initiative, Muslim customers are given refreshments, such as canned drinks, 30 minutes before and after Iftar, and the meal taken after evening prayers during Ramzan.<\/p>\n
These are placed on tables in the supermarkets, with a sign to Muslim shoppers to help themselves as they break their fast.<\/p>\n
“I walked over just to read what was on the board because I thought it was generally a nice gesture by NTUC and it is. As I started reading it this staff from NTUC approached me and he told me ‘no India’ … and I was like ‘what’?,” Jahabar said.<\/p>\n
“He said ‘No India, only Malay’ and I was like ‘that’s strange’,” he was further quoted as saying in the report.<\/p>\n
When Jahabar asked the male employee what he meant, the man, who was not identified, only repeated that “Indians cannot take”.<\/p>\n
Jahabar then tried to explain that Muslims could come from the Indian community, and the staff member replied that he has received instructions from “people at the top”.<\/p>\n
“I just walked off, pretty frustrated, I continued shopping,” he said, adding that his wife really felt that the incident should be brought up.<\/p>\n
The FairPrice shop said it is aware of the post on social media, adding that it has engaged the couple “to address their concerns” and has closed the matter “amicably”.<\/p>\n
“We take this matter seriously and would like to apologise for the incident. We have since also counselled our employee accordingly.<\/p>\n
“We would like to clarify that Iftar Packs are offered free of charge to all Muslim customers during the month-long Ramzan period,” the supermarket was quoted as saying.<\/p>\n
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n