A Customer Was Charged RM32 For This Plate Of Mixed Rice

The man, known as Syed Ikram, took to Facebook to complain about the matter and uploaded a photo of his expensive meal at Warung Aziz Satar at Kampung Geliga Baru, Chukai in Terengganu.

The photo shows a plate of rice with a giant freshwater prawn, two chunks of sotong (cuttlefish) and some kangkung (water spinach).

He said that that meal cost him RM32 and he shared it on social media because he was shocked at the exorbitant charges and wanted to know the opinion of his acquaintances on the matter.

It is learned that the incident happened last Sunday when Syed, who lives in Kuala Lumpur, travelled to Kemamam to meet a friend and they decided to stop by and eat at the restaurant.

Here's the breakdown of the price according to the representative:
Grade A giant freshwater prawn - RM15
Two chunks of sotong - RM14
White rice - RM2
Kangkung - RM1

The representative also said that the prices of the dishes were openly displayed at the eatery.

Malay daily Harian Metro reported that Liza Musid, who runs the eatery, is regretful and disappointed with the customer, whom she claimed of having malicious intents of disrupting her business.

The 25-year-old said that she did not deny claims that the mixed rice indeed cost RM32 as alleged by the customer.

"It's just that I am upset and disappointed about his actions because the price of any food sold in the store is printed on a large banner that is hung on top of the section where customers take their food," she told Harian Metro.

She explained that customers may pick their desired dishes at the set price as there are many different dishes that cost lesser or more, depending on the type of food.

She admitted that the price of giant freshwater prawn and sotong are indeed more expensive due to high cost of the raw material.

She then said that 1kg of sotong (which is equivalent to three large-sized sotong) costs RM27, while giant freshwater prawns cost RM65 per 1kg (about eight giant freshwater prawns).

"The said customer appeared to be hiding another piece of sotong beneath the rice on his plate and the size of the grade A giant freshwater prawn looks much smaller in the photo than what it really looks like in real life," she was quoted as saying by Harian Metro.

"I have called the Ministry of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Malaysia (KPDNKK) and I believe they will take appropriate action on this incident soon," Syed wrote in a Facebook post, adding that he was upset that he was being accused of attempting to hide a sotong under the rice.

Syed also argued that the prices displayed on the banner found in her store stated that "a whole sotong" may cost between RM6-RM8.

However, he only took two chunks of sotong as seen in his photo but he was charged for the price of two whole sotong.

"I will sue you. I am ashamed because you have defamed me in a news report," he wrote in another Facebook post yesterday, 25 May.

Before the issue was published in the papers, Liza had offered to refund the RM32 to Syed because she didn't want the incident to be more complicated than it already is. She said his actions have already tarnished her eatery's reputation.

However, Syed refused and stressed that he did not mind paying for the food that he took but he was shocked at the price because he was only eating at a roadside eatery.

"I hope that we do business with sincerity so that our businesses will last. I am also a businessman but I always put myself in my customer’s shoe so that I will understand what they feel," Syed wrote to Liza in a private chat, in response to her offer.