It seems that another local chain is facing backlash for alleged racism. Recently, a 99 Speedmart customer posted about a sign they saw in the store, claiming that the rice they sell is only available for Malays.
The incident was brought up by a XiaoHongShu user in a post titled, “You have to consider the colour of your skin when buying rice”. The user explained that they saw a handwritten sign inside a 99 Speedmart store at an undisclosed location. With the post, the user attached a photo showing the cardboard sign, which writes, “Beras Tempatan, For Malay Only”, suggesting that the store is only selling their local rice to Malays.
Unsurprisingly, the post sparked outrage, with many slamming 99 Speedmart for being racist. Some even brought up the issue with the company, messaging its customer service to get an explanation. However, others defended the store, saying the employee likely wanted to write “Malaysian” because the product is subsidised but made a mistake and wrote “Malay”. For those wondering, only Malaysians can purchase local white rice at its subsidised price.
99 Speedmart has since responded to messages regarding the sign. The company denied instructing its employees on anything related to the matter. The company also said it would lodge a police report on the issue as a precautionary measure due to concerns of malicious intentions to sabotage the branch. It will also conduct inspections at all branches to ensure a similar issue won’t occur again.
The company also reiterates that its stores follow government guidelines that only Malaysian citizens can purchase local white rice. Netizens have reacted to 99 Speedmart’s response, saying the issue could have been avoided if the employee amended the mistake on the sign. Others argued that customers should reach out to the store employees before posting on social media so that such issues won’t escalate into a racial dispute.
It seems the sign was just an honest mistake. However, we hope the employees will be more careful when writing their notices.
Sources: Oriental Daily, XiaoHongShu
