Malindo Air Contests Reports That It Asks Female Candidates to Disrobe

The carrier has taken exception to an article published by the Malay Mail earlier this week and has sought to clarify its recruitment procedures.

Malaysian carrier Malindo Air is seeking to clarify its recruitment procedures after it was reported in the country’s press that prospective female members of cabin crew were being asked to disrobe as part of their interviews.

In an article published on Wednesday, the Malay Mail reported that Raja Sa’adi Raja Amrin, the airline’s PR and communications director, stated that Malindo had the right “to request potential flight attendants to expose their chests to interviewers.”

In the original article, Amrin said that this procedure was necessary because the carrier’s cabin crew uniforms are partially transparent. “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,” the outlet quoted him as saying.

However, this story, which has caused controversy throughout Malaysia, has been contested by the carrier, which has sought to clarify what its current recruitment procedures are in relation to female members of cabin crew.

Malindo has flatly denied that it asks or has ever asked potential candidates to strip or disrobe.

Rather, in a statement issued by the carrier in response to the paper’s article, it has clarified that, “Grooming checks for visible marks are conducted privately by female supervisors in a professional manner and is part of the interviewing process. Herein candidates are briefed ahead and consent from each candidate is required prior proceeding to ensure there is no prominent marks will be visible while wearing the uniform.”

It added that these procedures have been enforced since the airline’s inception in 2013 and are strictly adhered to.

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