A Singapore Cricket Club guest has alleged that the establishment barred his family’s domestic helper from entering the club, even when his father – a club member – tried to register the helper as a guest, and relegated the helper to the carpark.

Facebook user Nicholas Bloodworth said that his family had visited the club recently to watch his nephew participate in a rugby match. When the family adjourned to the club’s restaurant, The Victoria Room, after the match, they were allegedly stopped and told by a staff member that they “Don’t allow maids here.”

Bloodworth, an actor, said that his family was shocked by the “flagrant discrimination” and were told that the helper is not only allowed in the restaurant, she is not allowed in the club premises and was told to “wait in the carpark”:

“Shocked and taken aback by this flagrant discrimination, we tried to clarify: “You mean in this particular area, or in the restaurant ?”
““No. They’re not allowed in the club. At all. She has to wait in the car park,” replied the middle-aged Chinese staffer.
““Well, how do you know she’s not my cousin?” quips my sister-in-law.
““I will know,” he said.”

Bloodworth said that while he was initially furious, he was prompted to take a walk to calm himself. His family eventually decided to finish their meal at the club’s restaurant while their helper took his infant niece for a walk while they ate and packed a share for her:

“When I first heard what the staff was telling us I was furious. I wanted to go all “Becky Lynch” on the club, which is basically a professional wrestling term for causing a scene and breaking things. But I heeded more advice — to take a walk and calm down lah.
“I tried to find another place for dinner during my walk, but it was getting late, my father is old and the kids needed to get home in time for bed. By the time I returned from my walk, the family was already seated in The Victoria Room and my brother’s helper, Mary, shrugged the whole thing off and had no qualms taking my infant niece for a walk while we rushed through dinner and packed her share for later.”

Clarifying that he finished his meal at the club because he did not want to cause a scene, Bloodworth added that he is not looking for people to boycott the club – he wants the club to clarify their rules and regulations clearly.

He asserted: “But this wasn’t fair. It was not fair for Mary, who works hard and makes sacrifices like everyone else, to be deprived of having dinner with the family. It was not fair to my grumpy dad who thought his biggest problem was his son’s pants-hating inclinations.”

This is not the first time the Singapore Cricket Club made headlines for barring a domestic helper. In 2001, a woman who brought her helper to the club was banned for life while her husband was banned for a period of six months. According to the Telegraph:

“Mrs Monksfield, 37, was hauled before a disciplinary panel after dining with her mother, two young children and Sri Lankan maid, Sanda Perumal, in the only restaurant at the club where children are allowed.
“Mrs Monksfield said: “Sanda wasn’t there to look after the children, she was there as my guest. A maid can be a friend. In fact she’s one of my best friends. I trust the care of my children to her.
“”It was a family night out and during dinner a waiter came over and said: `Is that your maid?’ I had no idea there was a rule about this, but he said maids weren’t allowed.
“”I refused to confirm or deny and then the supervisor came over and asked the same thing. We were allowed to finish the dinner after a couple of members intervened.”
“A spokesman for the club said the incident was an “internal club matter”, but confirmed that members were not allowed to bring in maids or chauffeurs.”

The Independent has written to the Singapore Cricket Club seeking their comment. We will update this article once we receive a response.

Bloodworth’s post, meanwhile, has been going viral online, with over 500 reactions and over 300 shares.

Bloodworth wrote: “I’m not out for blood on the social media hive. I’m out for change. But change doesn’t just happen at the drop of a hat or post documenting an upsetting day. All I ask is for a proper discussion to prove we’ve grown a bit as a society. Thanks for listening.”

Read his post in full here:

So this happened. What I thought would be an enjoyable occasion with my dad, brother, his wife, three children and…

Posted by Nicholas Bloodworth on Monday, 26 November 2018