Sikh men don the turban for symbolic and cultural purposes, and this is a rather common sight in multi-cultural Singapore.
However, on Monday (20 Jul), Mr Parvitar Singh took to Facebook to share a rather unpleasant experience while applying for a job.
While Mr Singh was identified as a potential candidate, an employee from the company allegedly implied over the phone that his turban might be an issue. You can read the Facebook post in full here.
The company is apparently investigating the matter.
In his post, Mr Singh recounted applying for a job that required “a certain level of face to face interaction”.
On Monday (20 Jul) morning, he allegedly got a call from the company informing him of an issue.
While he was apparently a good fit, a lady from the company asked if he wore “the cloth thingy” on his head, and if it’s removable.
Mr Singh answered that his turban is not removable.
The lady over the phone did not acknowledge if she was referring to the turban, but responded by saying that she’s sceptical about whether “the organiser will be comfortable with it”.
Presumably shocked by the comment, Mr Singh reminded the lady that he and others from the Sikh community are allowed to work and live in Singapore while donning turbans.
He went on informing the lady that he was previously from the Singapore Air Force, which he claims has rather strict clearances.
He then proceeded to thank the lady and told her that he’d be lodging an official report.
Later that night, Mr Singh provided an update on his Facebook page, sharing that the company is currently investigating the case.
He added that he will not be revealing the names of the staff and company as he does not want to cause further “implications”.
Mr Singh ended the post by thanking everyone who had provided support and urged them to be mindful of their words.
The turban is a symbol of a Sikh man’s pride, and should be treated with respect.
At the end of the day, donning a turban in no way affect the wearer’s ability to work, and hence should not be a factor that determines if an applicant lands a job or not.
We hope the company would conduct a thorough review of the case and take the necessary steps to prevent further occurrences like this moving forward.
Featured image adapted from Facebook and Facebook.
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