No discrimination: iBilik says race preference feature to facilitate compatibility

 The room-for-rent listings agency says living requirements are a necessary consideration given Malaysia’s multiracial and multicultural makeup.

iBilik said listings that ‘misuse platform features’ may be reported to the platform, which reserves the right to remove listings or suspend accounts where necessary. (Envato Elements pic)

PETALING JAYA:

 Room-for-rent listings agency iBilik says the race preference feature on its website, which allows landlords to filter prospective tenants by race, was introduced to “ease the search process” in shared living situations where compatibility between housemates is important.

In a statement responding to FMT’s queries on the matter, iBilik said living requirements were a necessary consideration, given Malaysia’s multiracial and multicultural makeup.

“Hence, these features are designed to help users narrow down listings and find suitable living arrangements more efficiently,” it said.

iBilik denied supporting or promoting racial discrimination in any form.

“This is not in line with our platform standards, and we take such matters cautiously and seriously.

“Our platform is open to people from all backgrounds, and over the years, we have helped more than 20 million tenants find accommodation that suits their needs across Malaysia,” it said.

It said its users are encouraged to use the platform responsibly, and listings that “misuse platform features” may be reported to the platform, which reserves the right to remove listings or suspend accounts where necessary.

“Our aim has always been to make the accommodation matching and admission process simpler and more transparent, so that tenants and property owners can find the right match.

“As a Malaysian brand, iBilik remains committed to improving our platform and supporting a fair and responsible rental marketplace for everyone,” it said.

Yesterday, NGO Architects of Diversity (AOD) said its analysis of 35,367 listings collected on Feb 2 and 3 from iBilik showed that nearly half of listings in the Klang Valley stated that prospective tenants of certain races are not welcome.

It found that 42.8% explicitly exclude at least one racial group, “making discrimination the most common landlord stance on the platform”.

AOD executive director Jason Wee claimed that landlords can openly refuse tenants on the basis of race, and tenants who are excluded have no legal avenue for redress.

Wee said that by letting landlords tick a box to exclude an entire race from seeing their listings, iBilik is “actively enabling discrimination at scale”.

AOD said it classified listings as discriminatory if the landlord had activated the platform’s race preference function and explicitly excluded one or more racial groups. - FMT