A Malaysian man has taken to social media to express his outrage after he was turned away at a car wash in Johor Bahru, simply because his vehicle carried a Malaysian registration plate. The shop allegedly prioritised only Singapore-registered cars — a move that has since sparked heated debate online across both sides of the border.
Car Wash Staff Says: “We Only Accept Singapore Cars”
In a post published on his Threads account @prince_amusz, the man shared his baffling experience at the Johor car wash. According to his account, he had approached the business expecting regular service, only to be turned down by a Bangladeshi worker who allegedly said: “We only accept Singapore cars.” The employee reportedly claimed he was just following the boss’s orders.
Frustrated, the man argued that they were in Malaysia, not Singapore. The staff then told him to take it up with the boss directly. When he did, the owner explained that the shop’s schedule was fully booked that day — all by Singaporean vehicles — and apologised for the inconvenience.
Outrage Over Preferential Treatment
Although the owner provided an explanation, the man remained dissatisfied, particularly with the foreign worker’s attitude, which he felt was disrespectful towards locals. “He told me only Singapore cars are accepted, but the boss said most of their customers are from Singapore,” the man added.
The post quickly went viral, with Malaysian netizens slamming the car wash for prioritising profits over fairness. Some users noted that businesses in Johor Bahru often cater to Singaporean clientele due to the stronger currency exchange and willingness to pay higher prices — a practice that many feel has gone too far.
“This is nothing new. Many shops in JB target Singaporeans because they pay in SGD — much more profitable.”
“Washing a Myvi in that area already costs RM25!”
“What are we waiting for? One-star Google review, let’s go!”
Some commenters even called for the shop’s name to be exposed so others could leave negative reviews online.
Even Singaporeans Call It Out
Interestingly, Singaporean users also chimed in — not in defence of the shop, but in solidarity with the Malaysian man. Several criticised the practice as discriminatory and unnecessary.
“As a Singaporean, I don’t support this. This is blatant double standards,” one user wrote.
“Customers are paying — regardless of where they’re from. This isn’t fair.”
“We should all speak up against this kind of practice.”
High-Value Tourists or Borderline Discrimination?
The incident has ignited discussions about how local businesses in border cities like Johor Bahru may be sidelining domestic customers in favour of cross-border profit. While tapping into Singaporean spending power is undeniably lucrative, the risk of alienating local patrons could harm brand reputation and customer loyalty in the long run.
With tensions already sensitive between some Malaysian and Singaporean netizens, this incident adds fuel to the fire — and it raises an important question: Should businesses in Malaysia draw the line when it comes to favouritism?
As the digital outrage continues, all eyes are now on the car wash to see whether it will issue a formal response — or scrub the issue under the mat.