Bakery staff in M’sia tells woman in wheelchair to leave due to dirty tyres, owner apologises

Bakery stuff in Kuala Lumpur asks woman in wheelchair to leave, cites dirty tyres

On Friday (16 Aug), Mr Muhamad Harris Nasril — a content creator from Malaysia — took to Facebook to share how a wheelchair user was asked to leave a bakery shop in Kuala Lumpur.

Staff at the bakery allegedly asked Ms Elmiza Ghani, the woman in the wheelchair, to leave. They cited mobility aid’s dirty tyres.

He referred to Ms Elmiza’s now-deleted post in the OKU Sentral Facebook group, which stated that she was asked to leave while purchasing bread.

“I was asked to leave even though I was already holding bread to buy. They said they had shown the rules at the entrance, but there was only a picture of a baby stroller, no picture of a wheelchair,” Ms Elmiza wrote in her original post.

“They said they were afraid the wheels would dirty their shop, maybe with faeces,” she added.

Ms Elmiza expressed her frustration and said she was allowed inside mosques with her wheelchair. She also emphasised that she was buying something and not begging.

Bakery shop owner issues apology

As Ms Elmiza’s post circulated on social media, the founder of Syu Bakers, the bakery in question, issued an apology on Facebook.

“I sincerely apologise for the recent issue regarding a woman in a wheelchair being told to leave the shop. I understand that my staff had to address this matter with the customers. It is a requirement to remove shoes or slippers before entering my premises,”

“Unfortunately, I neglected and failed to allow wheelchairs to enter my premises because, previously, there was waste stuck on the wheels of wheelchairs and strollers,” reads the post.

Nevertheless, the owner acknowledged that it was a mistake, adding that their father was disabled and that their mother relied on a wheelchair too.

“I’m not as heartless as people think. I made a mistake, and I’m owning up to it,” the owner said.

The owner also thanked the public for pointing out the issue and assured improvements in the future.

Later, Ms Elmiza shared the bakery’s apology in the same Facebook group and similarly asked for forgiveness.

In Mr Harris’s post, he urged restaurant and shop owners to be more considerate towards those with disabilities.

It costs nothing to show emotion and empathy in every action, especially when dealing with the disabled. They are human beings just like us.

Also read: Subway Customer With Guide Dog Denied Entry, Brand Promises To Educate Staff

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Featured image courtesy of Syu bakers on Facebook and freepik. Picture on the right is for illustration purposes only.