Optus removes Arabic ads after threats to Sydney staff

Optus has been forced to take down an advertisement written in Arabic after staff at a Sydney shopping centre were allegedly threatened.

Three posters were taken down from the store in Casula in Sydney's southwest, but not before the telco was bombarded with complaints on their Facebook page.

"Yesterday, following a threat to our store staff, we made the decision to remove some materials that were published in Arabic," an Optus spokesperson told the Sydney Morning Herald.

"The safety and security of our staff is paramount."

Translated into English, the Arabic posters read: "We speak your language. Come to one of these Optus stores and chat to us in Arabic."

Optus has explained that in addition to English-language advertisements, the company also has posters written in Arabic, Vietnamese and Chinese.

"In some communities, we actively promote the bilingual skills of our front-line staff," the spokesperson said.

"We recognise that sometimes customers find it easier to understand the detail of a phone plan when it's explained in their first language."

Nearly 10 percent of residents in the City of Liverpool, where Casula Mall is located, speak Arabic as their first language.

The posters are still up in other shopping centres in Sydney.