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PrimaDeli sacks employee over “discriminatory remarks” made at job interview

PrimaDeli’s Facebook post on Friday (29 April)

Bakery chain PrimaDeli has dismissed an employee for making “discriminatory remarks” at a job interview and apologised after a job applicant complained about the incident.

The management of PrimaDeli said in a Facebook post on Friday (29 April) that it has “zero tolerance policy for such behaviour”.

In a separate post on Facebook on the same day, PrimaDeli said, “We would like to apologise to the wider community with regards to the circumstances.

“We take a very serious view and…hence, serious disciplinary action has been imposed on the said employee after an immediate investigation was conducted.”

The applicant, Sarah Carmariah, who is said to be a Malay woman, took to Facebook on Thursday (28 April) to relate about her experience of the job interview on Monday (25 April) for the position of a cake decorator at the bakery.

At the interview, she said that the head of the baking department asked her to show her cake-decorating skills.

The employee allegedly commented about Carmariah’s race and said, “From what I see, and the way you look, and not trying to be racist ah, but you Malay, I think you cannot la.“

According to her, he also said, "You know ah, Malays ah they over promise, promise I can do this I can do that, in the end, cannot make it, after 2 days disappear.”

Carmariah said she was disgusted with the comments but she decided to proceed with the interview.

The employee also asked her whether she can converse in Chinese. He allegedly said, "Anyways you speak Chinese not? Cos mostly all my worker speak Chinese.”

After baking a cake, Carmariah thanked him and another colleague of his and left the bakery.

She said in her post, “How can anyone judge another based on general racial stereotypes? In Singapore, of all places, a supposedly racially harmonious and fair country?

“Particularly in my case, what I thought was ironic as hell, was that this company actually prides itself on catering to the Muslim community.”

In its first Facebook post about the incident, PrimaDeli highlighted its hiring policy.

“At PrimaDeli we believe in fair and equal rights for all at our company; We assess performance and suitability based on merit and achievements,” it said.

Yahoo Singapore has contacted Carmariah but she could not be reached for a comment.