Agency apologises to Sikh man who faced cultural ignorance during job application

A Sikh man who had a brush with discriminatory remarks in the process of applying for a job in Singapore has received an official apology from the company yesterday (July 21), which coincided with Racial Harmony day.

In a series of viral Facebook posts on July 20, Parvitar Singh recounted how a staff member of an agency told him that the prospective employer might not be “comfortable” with his turban — which she called “a cloth thingy on [his] head” — despite him being suitable for the job. 

She had also expressed surprise when he mentioned that he served in the Republic of Singapore Air Force without any issue about his turban. 

After ending the call, Singh decided to escalate the matter by reaching out to the agency to have its directors clarify themselves and issue an apology. 

According to an update, the agency’s manager called him to apologise and acknowledged that her colleague’s actions were uncalled for. 

“The agent has since issued an official apology to me with the manager and director in the loop and the company has also accepted my offer to have a scheduled online session to learn about Sikhism, the significance of the turban and every individual's right to practice our religion in workplaces according to the constitution of Singapore regardless of race, language and religion,” Singh wrote. 

[embed]https://www.facebook.com/Parvitar1/posts/2888610314600695[/embed]

The lady who made the offending remarks has also written a letter of apology to Singh, clarifying that she “was not able to find the words to respectfully relay what [she] wanted to say” during their phone call. 

“I had realised after our conversation that I had done something wrong but after discussing with both my management and my colleagues did it truly dawn on me on the extent of how my actions affected not only you but also anyone else who has had a similar experience,” she wrote. 

She added that she is a mother of two children who “could not even fathom to imagine” if the same thing happened to them. 

Singh affirmed in his post that he did the right thing by refusing to publicise her name and the agency involved as it would have jeopardised her job and the financial stability of her family. 

“I am glad this matter has been handled amicably and appropriately and I urge everyone to always do their part in vocalising discrimination and in their personal capacities, bring about change,” he concluded, thanking people for their support. 

Netizens hailed Singh for how he handled the matter. 

ilyas@asiaone.com