Hong Kong banks accused of racism after Pakistani man is asked why he wants to open account

When Rashid Mehmood walked into an HSBC branch in Lok Fu two weeks ago to try to open an account, the bank employee's first question to him was, "What's your nationality?"

Taken aback, Mehmood - who came to Hong Kong in April on a dependent visa and had prepared all the necessary documents - told the member of staff he was Pakistani. The employee then asked him and his wife to wait, walked away and disappeared behind a door.

When the bank employee came back, she asked Mehmood why he wanted to open an account. Feeling indignant, his wife, who was born and raised in Hong Kong, shot back: "Why do you think? Why do people want a bank account?"

Mehmood's wife, an interior designer whose surname is Bibi, added: "And then she said because he is a Pakistani, they needed to know the reason."

The staff member then told them that Mehmood could not open an account on his own but his company could open one for him in the company's name. But because the company did not pay him via the bank's automatic payment system, this was not an option either.

The couple then went to Bank of China and Bank of East Asia and got similar responses. "I was very p***** off," said Mehmood, 30, an accountant at a logistics firm.