A 38-week pregnant woman was allegedly accused of concealing stolen merchandise in her baby bump by staff members at a Lotus' outlet in Selayang, Selangor.

Her husband, who goes by @fareezshah10 on Threads, shared details of the incident on Sunday (July 12), describing it as "one of the most humiliating experiences" the couple had gone through.

According to his post, the couple had just finished paying for their groceries when a male staff member stopped them near the cashier area.

The staff member allegedly approached them without introducing himself or explaining the reason for stopping them, before asking the woman what she was hiding in her stomach.

The husband said the male staff member then questioned what his wife had supposedly stolen and allegedly requested to see his wife's maternity health booklet, even asking her to expose her stomach to prove that she was pregnant.

"A woman who is 38 weeks pregnant was being asked to prove her pregnancy because someone thought her baby bump looked suspicious," the husband wrote.

'Didn't look like a pregnant belly'

The couple were then made to wait for nearly 20 minutes in front of other shoppers while staff members attempted to contact their supervisor.

When the supervisor arrived, the husband said he confronted the cashier, who had allegedly raised the suspicion, and asked whether she had seen his wife stealing anything.

He claimed the cashier's suspicion was based only on the appearance of his wife's stomach.

"Her suspicion was simply because my wife's stomach 'didn't look like a pregnant belly'. So, there was no witness. No evidence. No stolen item. Only an assumption,” he wrote.

The cashier eventually apologised to the woman, while the male staff member remained silent until the husband approached him, after which he also apologised.

The husband said the incident left his wife, who is expecting their first child and is due soon, feeling as though she had been treated like a criminal.

"This isn't even about the apology anymore," the husband added. "No customer should be publicly accused without evidence."

Lotus' Malaysia apologises

, apologising for the distress caused and saying the matter had been escalated for further investigation.

"We are deeply sorry to read about your experience and the distress this incident has caused you, especially during you and your wife's pregnancy," the company said.

Lotus added that it was taking the concerns raised seriously and had escalated the matter to its management team for an urgent and thorough investigation to establish the facts.

Some netizens advised the couple to pursue legal action, with one commenter writing: "May I suggest getting legal counsel? This accusation is wild. You ... [have to] teach them a lesson in doing things right."

Another commented: "That is unacceptable. I hope justice is served."

Female netizens have also rallied in the comments section, with one calling the behaviour as "absolutely disgusting", adding that "pregnant women deserve respect, not harassment or objectification".

Another was left flabbergasted: "[Have] they never seen a pregnant woman? The audacity!"

helmy.saat@asiaone.com