Broadcasting company Astro Malaysia Holdings Bhd has denied racial profiling through imposing compulsory auto-debit payment for Indians and foreigners. — File picture by KE Ooi

KKUALA LUMPUR, July 9 — Broadcasting company Astro Malaysia Holdings Bhd has apologised today after it was accused of racial profiling through segregated payment rules for ethnic Indian and foreign subscribers.

The media company said it does not discriminate any ethnicity, after a customer, one Madhavi Rai, was told by its own customer service that ethnic Indians and foreigners were purportedly only allowed to use auto-debit service as their payment option.

“With regards to Ms Madhavi’s feedback, we at Astro apologise unreservedly to her for the unpleasant experience. We deeply regret the incident, which should not have happened,” Balamurugan Muniraju, its vice-president of customer service told Malay Mail Online in a statement.

“Astro assures our customers that we would not sanction any customer promotions or policies that discriminate any ethnicity. This particular campaign offer applies to all new customers, and not as inferred in the miscommunication.

“We take this matter seriously and are investigating what actually transpired in Ms Madhavi’s case to ensure incidences such as these will not repeat. Again, our sincerest apologies to all,” Balamurugan added.

The company had earlier said on its Facebook page that it is running a campaign where new customers who apply with auto-debit will enjoy a rebate on installation fee.

Rai, who is of Malaysian Nepali and ethnic Chinese parentage, had complained on Facebook that her application was rejected for refusing the auto-debit payment procedure, after she was allegedly informed it was her only payment option as she is “an Indian”.

“Now here comes the twist, of what would have been a normal sign up process. Next she highlighted that since I’m ‘Indian’ (assumption made from my name), Astro has a policy for Indians and foreigners to compulsorily sign up for auto debit payment method. (No other payment option),” Rai wrote, adding that she was puzzled about the requirement.

Several other users on Rai’s comment section had alleged that the policy was a result of some ethnic Indian subscribers who had defaulted on their payments.

The company’s explanation was however flooded with various complaints by other users regarding its customer service, especially when it comes to payments.