https://www.straitstimes.com/singap...r-guide-dog-at-rocky-master-outlet-in-hougang
SINGAPORE – Paralympic swimmer Sophie Soon was involved in a confrontation with a Rocky Master employee when she patronised the cafe at the Hougang 1 mall on Wednesday night, accompanied by her guide dog and her mother.
In a video taken by Ms Soon and posted on Facebook, the female employee was seen speaking on the phone before telling Ms Soon – who is visually impaired – and her mother to sit outside its premises with the guide dog.
Ms Soon’s mother then asked the woman why they were being discriminated against, adding that guide dogs are allowed in restaurants by Muis, or the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore, and the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment.
Asked what would happen if Ms Soon posted the video, the woman in the clip said: “Police report.”
“This happens practically every time I visit a new restaurant, which is a few times a week,” the 25-year-old told The Straits Times. Her guide dog, Orinda, has been with her since January 2022.
“It’s always the same when I go to a restaurant I haven’t been to before, where the staff on the ground have to check with management, and then I have to end up waiting 10 to 15 minutes.”
But this time, there was a half-hour delay before Ms Soon and her mother were seated.
Ms Soon claimed they were given three conditions by the employee in the video for remaining in the restaurant: the dog must be leashed, it must not be fed, and customers must not complain about the dog.
“As said many times before, guide dogs are allowed by law into all restaurant establishments, including halal establishments, as supported by Muis,” Ms Soon wrote in the caption accompanying the video.
In Singapore, guide dogs wear a yellow harness with text indicating that they are working dogs.
Guide dogs are approved and allowed in halal-certified premises, according to a Muis advisory.
The Housing Board and the National Parks Board’s Animal and Veterinary Service allow guide dogs to live in HDB flats. The National Environment Agency and the Singapore Food Agency also allow guide dogs in restaurants, foodcourts and cafes.
“How many more times do guide dog users have to be discriminated (against) before businesses finally educate themselves on the guide dog laws in Singapore?” Ms Soon wrote in the video caption.
We thank you for choosing to patronize Rocky Master, and for giving us the opportunity to serve you and your family.
Rocky Master is a homegrown brand which has been Halal-certified since 2017. We aspire to be a great company of happy, healthy and successful people, where we will support one another to succeed and contribute positively towards the community. We strive to serve diners from all walks of life with our quick and casual dining concept. We do not discriminate any diner who chooses to patronize Rocky Master. However, we are mindful to be considerate towards other diners who might not be comfortable with certain dining environments. Hence, we ask that guide dogs be leashed (according to SFA and MUIS advisory) and preferably be seated at outdoor seating area where possible.
We endeavour to show respect and care for all our customers and make them feel welcome at our outlets. At the same time, we also care for the well-being of our staff member. In this incident, our staff may not be very experienced in handling such situations, but we are extremely grateful that she took a cautious approach to verify with her superior before making any commitment. Even under the circumstances of being filmed, she and the rest of the team maintained their composure and did their best to accommodate and fulfil your requests. We understand from our outlet manager that our poor staff was traumatized due to the incident. We have since reached out to our staff member to express our care and concern.
Let us work together to build a kinder society.
