A MAN'S eight-part post on Threads describing how his 23-year-old wife, who was 38 weeks pregnant, was accused of concealing stolen goods under her clothing at a hypermarket in Selayang drew widespread outrage on social media.
The account described staff demanding to see the woman's maternity health record to prove her pregnancy, and asking her to show her stomach to prove she was not hiding merchandise.
Was a pregnant woman really accused of hiding stolen goods in her baby bump at a Selayang hypermarket?
Verdict:
TRUE
The husband, identified as Fareez, 25, said the incident occurred after he and his wife had finished paying for their groceries at a hypermarket branch in Selayang, Selangor.
He said a male staff member stopped them just outside the cashier area and, without introducing himself or explaining the situation, looked at his wife and asked what she was hiding in her belly.
"Imagine hearing those words directed at your wife, who is heavily pregnant," Fareez wrote.
He said the staff member then asked his wife to produce her Pink Book, the maternity health record carried by pregnant women, as proof that she was actually pregnant.
He said they also asked his wife to show her stomach to prove she was not concealing stolen items.
Fareez said he immediately challenged the staff to provide evidence, produce a witness and call a supervisor.
Instead, the couple were made to wait for approximately 20 minutes while the staff tried to contact their supervisor, surrounded by other shoppers in what Fareez described as one of the most humiliating experiences they had ever been through.
"My wife was already exhausted from carrying our baby, and now she had to endure public embarrassment on top of that," he wrote.
When the supervisor arrived and the cashier who raised the suspicion was called forward, Fareez said he asked her directly when she had seen his wife take anything.
"Her answer shocked me. She admitted she never actually saw my wife taking anything.
"Her suspicion was simply because my wife's stomach did not look like a pregnant belly and she thought it looked like someone hiding merchandise," he wrote.
Fareez said the cashier apologised to his wife, and the male staff member who had initially confronted them also eventually apologised.
The hypermarket confirmed the incident in a statement on Wednesday (July 15), saying it had completed its investigation and found that the conduct of the staff did not meet the service standards customers should expect.
"No customer should have to go through such an experience while shopping," the hypermarket said.
"To the customer, his wife and their family, we wish to apologise for the incident that occurred. We deeply regret the experience they went through. We have also contacted the family directly and remain committed to regaining their trust," it said.
The hypermarket said it had taken appropriate disciplinary action against the staff involved, in line with the company's internal policies.
It added that it had strengthened its guidelines, procedures and training to ensure all staff continue to uphold the required service standards and to help prevent a similar incident from occurring.
The hypermarket also expressed concern over reports of personal harassment and online threats directed at the employees involved and their immediate family members since the incident gained public attention.
"We hope that all parties will respect the privacy, wellbeing and dignity of every individual involved, and allow the matter to proceed with mutual understanding," it said.
"This incident reminds us of the importance of treating every customer with empathy, respect and dignity. We remain committed to learning from this experience, continuing to improve our service quality and continuing to earn the trust that customers place in us every day," the hypermarket said.
Sources:
1. https://www.threads.com/@
