KUALA LUMPUR: Several Opposition members of parliament today condemned Malindo Air's grooming check procedures in a recent walk-in interview, which required applicants to strip down to their bras.
The members of Parliament, comprising Siti Mariah Mahmud (PAN-Kota Raja), P. Kasthuriraani (DAP-Batu Kawan) and Teo Nie Ching (DAP-Kulai) also urged three ministries, namely Transport, Human Resource as well as Women, Family and Community Development, to thoroughly investigate the matter.
Siti Mariah, in voicing her disgust, questioned the need for women to show their bodies in such a manner.
“The applicants just need to be presentable and charming, not sexy.
“This (grooming check) is disgusting and unacceptable. It insults and outrages the modesty of women,” she told a press conference in Parliament today.
She further demanded that the airline apologises to all Malaysian women, and urged Malaysian women not to stoop to the demands.
“I hope more Malaysians will stand up to this, and that Malindo Air will abolish this barbaric move,” she said.
Kasthuriraani, meanwhile, condemned the act of discriminating, degrading and insulting women.
“The applicants should be picked based on qualities of being calm in times of crisis, handling difficult passengers, and for being articulate and kind,” she said.
Teo also said it was totally unacceptable for the airline to ask the applicants to strip down, when they can just ask them if they had tattoos or scars.
“Why the need to ask them to remove their clothes?” she queried.
It was reported that several flight attendant hopefuls walked out of an interview with the airline after they were asked to strip down.
The issue has since caused an uproar, with flight attendants from other airlines saying they had never been subjected to such a procedure during their interviews.