During the fasting month of Ramadan, some businesses offer free iftar (break fast) food for Muslims.
One of them is FairPrice, which is handing out free drinks and snacks in Iftar Packs for its Muslim customers during Ramadan.
However, a woman and her husband said they were disallowed from taking these treats at the FairPrice outlet in Our Tampines Hub (OTH).
Instead, the staff there shooed them away, she added.
The supermarket chain has apologised for the incident.
In a Facebook post on Sunday (9 Apr), the OP, Ms Farah Nadya, said she and her husband were grocery shopping at FairPrice OTH that evening.
That was when they came across some complimentary iftar treats, comprising dates, chocolate fudge bars, Milo and sparking lemonade.
Source: Farah Nadya on Facebook
They initially thought it was a sweet gesture, but what happened after that left a sour taste in their mouths.
To their surprise, a male staff member allegedly approached Ms Farah’s husband and told him, “Not for India, not for India!”
In disbelief, he replied, “What?” Ms Farah claimed that the staff member then proceeded to tell them to “go away”.
Source: Google Maps
Ms Farah said she and her husband tried to explain to him that the snacks were for all Muslims. Not all Malays are Muslims, and some Indians can be Muslims, they added.
However, the staff member allegedly replied,
I don’t know. I no education, the top people tell me to say like this. I don’t know. Just go away.
Ms Farah found this incident shocking and “incredibly distasteful”.
She confirmed that she and her husband are both Muslims, she being Malay-Indian and her husband, Indian-Muslim.
They weren’t even intending to take the snacks but ironically stopped by just to applaud the initiative as they found it inclusive.
However, they ended up disappointed instead, with Ms Farah saying,
This is 2023. I’m sure we can do better!
In a Facebook post on Monday (10 Apr), FairPrice apologised for the incident, saying they take the matter seriously.
Source: NTUC FairPrice on Facebook
They clarified that the Iftar Packs are free for all Muslims during Ramadan, as it has been in the 15 years they’ve been doing this.
The snacks are usually offered 30 minutes before and after iftar, they added, and this will continue till 21 Apr — the last day of Ramadan.
As for the staff member involved, they’ve counselled him accordingly, FairPrice said.
The couple has also been contacted to address their concerns.
The matter has been closed amicably, the supermarket added.
Speaking to Channel NewsAsia (CNA), Ms Farah confirmed that FairPrice had contacted her and offered a hamper as an apology.
The couple declined it, though they appreciated the quick customer service recovery.
She also told them that they didn’t make the post intending for the staff to be reprimanded, but to create awareness.
Ultimately, Ms Farah hoped that the incident would prompt FairPrice to better train their staff. This is especially for those who interact with customers.
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Featured image adapted from Farah Nadya on Facebook and Google Maps.
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