Ad discrimination: How do we draw the line between bias and practicality?

"... she went on to put an ad in The Straits Times' Classifieds, but was told she could not put in these race and sex requirements"

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Oct 23, 2007

Ad discrimination: How do we draw the line between bias and practicality?
I REFER to Ms Radha Basu's article, 'Time to amend the Constitution' (ST, Oct 12), and many other commentaries that fight against the discrimination of women and/or races.
It appears that sex and race are becoming more touchy issues as Singapore is more willing to recognise that minorities such as females, local non-Chinese and gays have been subject to discrimination.
These changing attitudes are reflected - and also brought about - by changes in the Penal Code.
While I laud no matter how slight changes that to me reflect a maturing society, I believe there are some tricky issues at hand.
My mother wishes to employ a clerk for her company currently consisting of a female clerk and herself.
Her office space is small and crowded with furniture and office supplies.
She specifically wants a female worker because it would be awkward for these two women to share such a tight physical space with a man.
She specifically, too, wants a Chinese worker because the job requires conversing with Mandarin and dialect-speaking clients.
(Of course, one might argue that race does not dictate the language spoken, but while we are in Singapore, these two are still very much closely correlated.)
Furthermore, she has her lunches in the office and is afraid of making a Muslim clerk uncomfortable with the smell of Chinese food, which also includes pork, in the poorly-ventilated office.
Hence, she went on to put an ad in The Straits Times' Classifieds, but was told she could not put in these race and sex requirements.
Consequently, she had to politely turn down many ad respondents who did not fall in these categories, which was a waste of both these jobseekers' and my mother's time.
I believe there are many other arguments for employers who have a preference for one sex and/or race over another.
Some of these reasons could also be biologically-related (for example, men are generally physically stronger than women, as well as the very controversial issue of the need for pregnancy and post-natal leave which men are most unlikely to require).
Then how?
How do we institutionally draw this line so as to serve practical needs without tipping onto the side of sex/racial bigotry?
Chen Weiling (Ms)
http://www.straitstimes.com/ST%2BForum/Online%2BStory/STIStory_169376.html

Bride-to-be killed in accident 6 days before wedding

SAF: our enemies will die laughing.
"Just before the accident, she had informed her family that she was feeling dizzy".
"She and her fiance were heading towards camp to hand the MC to her supervisor when she was killed".

Still cannot get over this incident...Dis is just so stupid!!!, either superior in charge an idiot, or the employee's a robot. Either way, a totally tragic yet stupid outcome has occured.
As I know, Ms Siti will be fully compensated by SAF because travelling to camp is considered 'service'. (Full workman com, salary 1 yr, insurance etc)- total waste of taxpayers $$.
And to add salt, the Army's recruitment website is totally idiotic i must say: " http://www.mindef.gov.sg/arc/intro.asp ": (is probably out to entice techno freaks); furthermore, like this one, the 2Lt Li Hongyi case simply typifies the fact that attention to HR, safety and dicipline best practises is seriously lacking. Thus shouldn't a formal inquiry be conducted?

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Home > Most Read Stories
Oct 19, 2007
Bride-to-be killed in accident 6 days before wedding
She was thrown off her motorcycle and landed in drain
By Elena Chong, Court Correspondent
Investigation showed that Ms Nur Baidura had apparently lost control of her 125cc motorcycle.

The bride-to-be, Ms Siti Nur Baidura Mohd Yusof, 22, was on her way with her fiance, full-time national serviceman Fareed Serlan, 20, to hand over her medical certificate at Maju Camp at Clementi Road on July 23 when the accident happened. No other vehicle was involved.
The couple were to wed in six days and invitation cards had been sent out.
An inquiry into her death heard that her fiance, who was riding pillion, was warded for five days for injuries to his face, knees and left elbow.
Investigation showed that Ms Nur Baidura had apparently lost control of her 125cc motorcycle along the right-most lane with intermittent gouge marks. She was thrown off from the motorcycle and landed in the drain.
Just before the accident, she had informed her family that she was feeling dizzy. She consulted a doctor at Bedok Polyclinic and was given a day's MC. She and her fiance were heading towards camp to hand the MC to her supervisor when she was killed.
State Coroner Ronald Gwee recorded a verdict of misadventure.
Her elder brother, Mr Mohammad Noor Azhar, 24, who attended the inquiry, is now riding her motorcycle which she had bought about six months before the accident.
He described her as a talkative, sporty and very active person, who loved karaoke.
'I miss her so much,'' he told reporters outside court.
www.straitstimes.com/Latest+News/Courts+and+Crime/STIStory_168465.html