Applying for jobs is no easy task, especially when you’ve just finished your studies. Unfortunately, some are denied even applying for jobs simply because of their race and religion. This young woman decided to call out a popular tea brand for the racism she faced recently.
TikTok user Haneesh Kaur or @neeeesh12 posted a video on her channel where she was told that a Tealive outlet has a “Malays-Only” policy. “When I went to this Tealive to inquire about a job vacancy, the staff told me that they only hiring Malays. I thought I heard wrong but she repeated the same answer so I was quite shocked,” she said in her video.
@neeeesh12 For those of you who have had such experiences, I’m truly sorry that happened. Don’t be afraid to share your stories. & @Tealive Asia don’t lah like this 🥲 #tealivemalaysia
The TikToker then got in touch with the company’s customer service to ask for verification if Tealive had a policy of hiring only Malay-Muslims candidates. The brand replied by saying that their jobs are open to all people regardless of race and religion. Baffled, the job-seeker went back to the Tealive outlet to confront the staff member who denied her from applying for a job.
The staff immediately offered the young woman a job application form to possibly avoid the confrontation which she declined, saying that she just wanted to know the reason for not giving her the opportunity in the first place. She added, “This experience was really shocking cause Tealive is such a huge brand but they hired a staff like this. I hope they can look into this matter and make it clear to the employees to not deny someone their rights to a job.”
Not long after the video went viral, Tealive Malaysia responded to the post by offering Haneesh not 1 but 2 apologies. According to a follow-up video, the content creator said that the brand’s customer service offered her an apology for the incident and shortly afterward, she received a call from the branch manager of the outlet she applied for the job.
@neeeesh12 Replying to @neeeesh12 P.S. I will not be disclosing the location of the branch nor the identity of the staff as I do not wish to direct unnecessary hate towards them, as well as everyone else working at that branch. While voicing out against these systematic issues is important, I would still want to respect the safety and privacy of everyone involved. #tealivemalaysia
“She told me she had only become aware of the issue after receiving my previous video from headquarters. She apologised several times and said that disciplinary actions will be taken against the staff member,” said the TikToker. Before ending her video, Haneesh said she will no longer stay silent on issues such as this and encourage everyone to speak out against racism and prejudice.
We applaud Haneesha for her bravery to speak out on this serious matter and hope she’ll find a job that’s suited for her.
