PETALING JAYA, June 23 — Popular coffeeshop chain Ali, Muthu & Ah Hock has replaced an image of a wheelchair in their poster with spectacles after they were labelled ableist by Facebook users.
The restaurant had initially shared the poster on Facebook and called on diners to “help Ali, Muthu & Ah Hock stand on their feet again.”
“The Covid-19 outbreak has broken many of us. Ali, Muthu & Ah Hock are no exception,” read the poster.
The chain asked customers to “help them walk again” and offered a 20 per cent discount off their dine-in and takeaway bills on the weekend at selected outlets.
Facebook users quickly took issue with the use of the wheelchair in the poster, saying that it was offensive and distasteful to compare the restaurant’s struggles with having a disability.
“I’m sure you thought this design and copy were really smart but it’s actually a pretty distastefully ableist way of trying to rally support.
“Disabled persons aren’t ‘broken.’ Please come up with something else,” said one user on the now-deleted post.
Another user complained that the poster had initially misled her into thinking that they would contribute 20 per cent from their customers’ bills to helping people with disabilities.
Ali, Muthu & Ah Hock posted a statement today announcing that they have replaced the wheelchair in the poster with a pair of spectacles instead and used a different metaphor to explain the plight faced by restaurants during Covid-19.
The new poster now encourages customers to “help Ali, Muthu & Ah Hock see it through this difficult period.”
Dear Kawan-Kawan, We have received a number of comments and feedback regarding our recent post with an image of a...
Posted by Ali, Muthu & Ah Hock on Monday, June 22, 2020
“The wheelchair was posted in the context of a business aid. It is a form of aid and assistance, similar to spectacles, to assist us when needed.
“To those that have understood our message and took it into context, and have spoken up for us, thank you. We might not know who you are, but thank you.
“For those that were offended by our post, we at Ali, Muthu & Ah Hock would like to sincerely apologise.
“It has never been our intention to offend or degrade anyone from our community, especially those who are wheelchair-bound,” they said.
Ali, Muthu & Ah Hock also pointed out that they have priority seating for people with disabilities, pregnant women, and families with infants at their restaurants.
They also invited wheelchair users and people who wear spectacles to speak to their managers at the Jaya 33 and Bangsar South outlets to receive “a little something extra” this weekend.
