Here's Everything You Must Know About The Exposé On Malindo Air's 'Strip Check' Fiasco
The Malay Mail reported that air hostess applicants were asked to remove their tops during a Malindo Air walk-in interview recently.
By Nandini Balakrishnan — 06 Apr 2017, 02:14 PM
The report said that air hostess applicants were asked to strip down to their bras during a recent walk-in interview.
It also said that other applicants were asked to remove their pantyhose and lift up their skirts.
The walk-in interview was held on 11 March.
However, Malindo Air was quick to deny all allegations of doing a 'strip check' on their air hostess applicants
"In perspective of an article on Malindo Air’s recruitment process of cabin crew in The Malay Mail newspaper dated 5 April 2017, the airline denies of the allegations upon internal investigations done," said the airline in a statement posted on its official Facebook page.
Malindo Air explained that the grooming checks are conducted by female supervisors in a "professional manner" and is part of the interviewing process. It said that applicants are briefed and asked for consent prior to conducting the checks that are in place to ensure that there are no prominent or visible marks when they wear the official Malindo Air uniform.
Responding to the accusations, Malindo Air public relations and communications director Raja Sa'adi Raja Amrin defended the move, saying that it is their "right to conduct body checks" on air hostess applicants
Speaking to The Malay Mail, Raja Sa'adi said that air hostess applicants are required to remove their tops, leaving their bras on to see if they had any visible marks when they put on Malindo Air's "partially see-through" uniform.
"It is not an issue. We have the right to conduct such body checks on them. I think most airlines do the same."
"We need to see if they (applicants) have scars, pimples or tattoos that could be seen through the uniform. Our flight attendants wear a corset inside and if it is covered by the corset, it is okay," he said.
He also opined that "strip-check" is commonly practiced by most airlines to ensure that their cabin crew is presentable
As for complaints on applicants having to lift up their skirts to reveal their legs, he said that this is because Malindo Air's uniforms have long slits.
"We need to know if there are scars or any marks as you can see their legs when they walk."
"The slit is also tailored in such a manner where it will enable flight attendants to move around easily, especially during an emergency," explained Raja Sa'adi.
Malindo's air hostesses have two uniforms - a high collared white blouse or a white kebaya top worn with a sarong.
Malindo's 'strip check' practice drew ire from air hostesses who called it "ridiculous and disgusting"
An experienced Malaysia Airlines air hostess, 42-year-old Sherifah Muhazlisa Syed Mohd Bakar, told The Malay Mail that she wasn't asked to remove her top when she joined the airlines in 1996.
"Those with long sleeves were asked to roll up their sleeves to check for tattoos and scars. That's it," she explained.
Another cabin crew staff from AirAsia that The Malay Mail spoke to, said that it was unacceptable for airline officials to ask cabin crew applicants to strip during interviews
"My current employer asked if I had any tattoos or scars but I was never asked to take my clothes off."
"The airline (AirAsia) will not have a problem with stewards or stewardess having tattoos or scars as long as they were covered by the uniform. This is the 21st century. No organisation should be asking their employees to remove their clothes. It is extremely derogatory," he added.
Meanwhile, another air hostess from Singapore Airlines who spoke anonymously, said that she was shocked to find out about Malindo Air's 'strip check' practice.
"That is crazy! I do not understand why they would have to do that. Those girls are not there to show off their bodies," she said, as reported by The Malay Mail online on 5 April.
However, an air hostess who had gone for Malindo's walk-in interview previously said that she wasn't asked to remove her top
Malaysian Digest spoke to Sha, a 25-year-old air hostess who currently works for an international airline who said that she didn't have to go through the 'strip check' when she went for an interview with Malindo Air three years ago.
"I wasn’t asked to strip down to my bra for physical inspection three years ago when I came for the airline’s walk-in interview."
"Maybe I’m one of the lucky ones who escaped such vile treatment. But regardless, it doesn’t dismiss the fact that what the airline deemed as 'a norm' is unacceptable and cemented the general notion that the airline industry objectifies women," Sha told Malaysian Digest.
Interestingly enough, Malindo Air claims that they have been practising the 'strip check' procedure for the past four years.
While The Malay Mail's report has opened up a conversation on ethics and Malindo Air's practices, the newspaper has been criticised by activist Marina Mahathir, for using the photo of a female clad in nothing but a bra to sell their story
So Malay Mail, you do an exposé on @malindoair's violation of flight attendant recruits' bodies by using a woman's body to sell the story?
— Marina Mahathir (@netraKL) April 5, 2017
In the midst of this, award-winning low-cost airline AirAsia, took a jibe at Malindo's 'strip check' drama by putting up a tongue-in-cheek advertisement seeking cabin crew candidates
AirAsia has since removed the advertisement from their Facebook page.