JB car wash allegedly prioritises S'pore-registered vehicles over M'sian ones, local authorities not having it
Ethel Tseng
TNP
Aug 1, 2025
Authorities in Johor Bahru (JB) have been instructed to crack down on car wash outlets that reportedly prioritise Singapore-registered vehicles over Malaysian ones.
The move comes after a Threads post went viral on July 25, in which a Malaysian netizen recounted being turned away by a car wash staff member in Taman Abad, who said: "Sorry boss, Singaporean car only."
Later, the car wash owner explained that they had no space to serve an extra customer, saying: "Actually many cars from Singapore are entering Malaysia today, so they already booked the whole day."
When the netizen asked if the car wash only serves Singapore-registered vehicles, the owner reportedly responded apologetically: "Our customers mostly from Singapore, sorry ah boss."
The post sparked outrage online, with many Malaysian netizens voicing their disapproval of the business's seemingly discriminatory practices.
One Singaporean netizen said: "That's horrible! I think most Singaporeans are not even aware that they do this. This is like being a traitor to your own people."
Some questioned the plausibility of the "fully booked" explanation. "Is it possible that all Singaporean cars (there) were pre-booked?" asked one.
Some netizens accused the business of favouring Singaporean customers because of higher rates, at the cost of local patrons.
"JB is full of greedy business owners who don't even consider accepting RM because it's too low for them," said one commenter.
Another agreed, suggesting that the high exchange rate meant that businesses earn more from Singaporean customers.
"Singaporeans never realised this would happen because they thought their money would support the JB economy. Instead, the strong currency is killing locals in Malaysia," added a user.
Another Singaporean commented: "From a Singaporean, I'm sorry this happened. Please tell the authorities. They shouldn't do this to their own people."
Speaking to the New Straits Times, Rana Sheikh Ali, 46, a Bangladeshi supervisor at another car wash in the area said most outlets serve all customers equally, contrary to allegations.
"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.
However, the backlash resulting from the post led to a sharp drop in customers for businesses.
Rana said that while his shop used to serve 50 to 70 cars on weekends - 60 per cent of them Malaysian - they're now seeing fewer than 10 Malaysian-registered vehicles a day.
Responding to the furor, Johor state housing and local government committee chairman Mohd Jafni Md Shukor said action will be taken against outlets that discriminate against locals.
"If someone is doing business in Johor, but only prioritises foreigners while sidelining locals just for the sake of bigger profits, then we will not tolerate it," he said at the Johor Property Expo 2025 at Angsana Johor Bahru Mall on July 24.
"I will instruct local councils to cancel the licence of any car wash operator that insists on only accepting foreign-registered vehicles, especially from Singapore."
He also stressed the importance of business integrity.
"I would like to remind all business owners in Johor that while it is natural to seek profits, they must also fulfil their corporate social responsibility and not neglect locals."
