Alleged Hijab Ban for HUB Internship Participants at Solo Safari Draws Criticism
Allegations of a rule prohibiting female employees and interns from wearing hijabs at Solo Safari have triggered public polemics following a complaint from an applicant for the Ministry of Manpower’s (Kemnaker) HUB Internship programme.
The Chairman of the PKS Faction of the Solo Regional House of Representatives (DPRD), Sugeng Riyanto, revealed that his office received reports from a citizen participating in the HUB Internship selection at Solo Safari. The individual claimed they were informed during the interview process that female employees at the venue are not permitted to wear hijabs.
“We received a report from a member of the public applying for the Kemnaker HUB Internship. During the interview process, the management of Solo Safari stated that they do not allow their female employees to wear hijabs,” Sugeng stated when met at the Solo Safari area on Monday (21/9).
Responding to the complaint, Sugeng immediately sought clarification from the management and the TSTC (Taman Satwa Taru Jurug) foundation. According to Sugeng, during initial coordination, the HR department initially confirmed that, as a matter of management, no female employees were wearing hijabs, which he interpreted as a form of prohibition.
Sugeng strongly condemned the alleged ban, viewing it as a violation of citizens’ constitutional rights, specifically Articles 28 and 29 of the 1945 Constitution, as well as the Job Creation Law, which guarantees the right of the public to obtain employment without discrimination.
“It is highly discriminatory, and therefore we must speak out loudly. This must not happen in our Republic of Indonesia,” Sugeng asserted.
Solo Safari Management Denies Allegations and Apologises
Meanwhile, the General Manager of Solo Safari, Miyana, strongly denied the existence of any policy prohibiting the use of hijabs at the venue. He offered an apology for the miscommunication that occurred between the recruitment team and the internship applicants.
“We emphasise that Solo Safari does not have any provisions prohibiting employees from wearing religious attributes, including the hijab. We apologise if there was any inaccurate communication during the process with the internship candidates,” Miyante explained.
Miyana ensured that there are no specific clauses within the company regulations that prohibit the use of religious attire. His side promised to conduct an internal review to ensure there is no discrepancy between official company policy and field execution.
As a resolution, the Solo Safari HR department will immediately contact the internship candidate to rectify the issue. Miyana added that Solo Safari has routinely partnered with the Ministry of Manpower and has never had a record of discrimination.
“This may be purely a case of improper communication or miscommunication. This HUB Internship programme is now in its fourth batch, and in previous opportunities, we have never encountered issues such as the one discussed today,” he concluded.