Lotus’s Malaysia has confirmed that it has taken appropriate disciplinary action in line with its internal policies following an incident involving a pregnant woman who was accused of shoplifting at its Selayang, Selangor, outlet.
In a statement, the company said the action was taken after completing an internal investigation into the incident, which had gone viral on social media. It found that the way the situation was handled did not meet the level of customer service and treatment expected by customers or the company’s own standards.
Lotus’s apologised to the customer, her husband and their family, saying no customer should experience such treatment while shopping. The company said it has contacted the family directly and remains committed to rebuilding their trust.
The retailer said it is strengthening its guidelines, procedures and staff training to ensure employees continue to uphold the company’s service standards and prevent similar incidents from happening again.
At the same time, Lotus’s expressed concern over reports of personal harassment and online threats directed at its employees and their close family members following the incident. It urged the public to respect the privacy, well-being and dignity of everyone involved.
The company said the incident serves as a reminder of the importance of treating every customer with empathy, respect and dignity, adding that it remains committed to improving its services and earning customers’ trust.
Earlier reports said the husband of the pregnant woman questioned the actions of a supermarket supervisor, who allegedly made his wife stand for about 20 minutes after accusing her of hiding stolen items under her clothing. The husband, identified as 25-year-old Fareez, said his 23-year-old wife was heavily pregnant at the time.
