Rana Sheikh Ali, 46, a Bangladeshi supervisor at a car wash in the city’s Taman Abad area, said his shop used to handle 50-70 vehicles each weekend, with Malaysians making up around 60% of the clientele.
“Now, we’re getting fewer than 10 Malaysian-registered cars a day,” he told the New Straits Times.
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This photo taken on Nov. 26, 2013, shows a view from Singapore of the border crossing into the Malaysian southern city of Johor Bahru. Photo by AFP |
The boycott began after a social media post last week claimed that a car wash in the area was only accepting Singapore-registered vehicles. The outlet, reportedly staffed by foreign workers, had allegedly turned away Malaysian customers, saying all slots were booked by clients from across the border.
The post drew the ire of the public and many locals, upset over the alleged discrimination and high prices, have steered clear of car washes in the area.
Rana rejected the allegations, saying most centers, especially smaller and mid-range ones, do not discriminate between customers.
“It’s unfair to lump all operators together because of a few ‘premium’ car washes that turn away locals, especially on weekends and holidays,” he said.
He urged the public not to penalize all operators for the actions of a few.
“We are just trying to make a living. If this continues, many workers here will lose their jobs.”
On top of the boycott, the controversy also prompted a warning from the state’s housing and local government committee chairman, Datuk Mohd Jafni Md Shukor, who said on Sunday that car washes found refusing to serve locals could get their business licenses revoked.
Johor Bahru Mayor Datuk Mohd Haffiz Ahmad also commented on the issue on Wednesday, suggesting that it may have happened because some operators prefer offering higher-priced “premium” services, which tend to appeal more to Singaporean customers.
“The claim is that the costlier wash, popular among Singaporeans, brings in more money. So, the car wash operator allegedly rejects local vehicles whose owners only want a normal wash,” he was quoted as saying by the Malay Mail.
He noted that no official reports of the alleged practice had been received so far, but authorities would continue monitoring the situation and carry out inspections.
The Johor Bahru City Council has also recently reclassified car washes in the city as high-risk businesses due to concerns over hygiene, road damage, and foreign workers’ documentation, AsiaOne reported, citing a local newspaper.
“They will now be subject to increased scrutiny, including mandatory worker registration and infrastructure inspections,” Mohd Haffiz noted.
“If they fail to comply with the conditions set, action will be taken in accordance with existing laws and regulations. In addition, their licenses will not be renewed.”
Some 543 licensed car wash outlets currently operate across the city under the council’s jurisdiction. Around 53 illegal ones were shut down last year, and another 33 had been identified by June this year and are currently being dealt with.
Johor Bahru, located just across the border from Singapore, is linked to the city-state by the Johor–Singapore Causeway, one of the world’s busiest land crossings. The route handles more than 350,000 travelers daily, including Malaysians commuting to work and Singaporeans crossing over for more affordable goods and services.
