Did A Kota Kemuning Kopitiam Wash Meat Near A Drain? Here's Their Flip-Flopping Response
Their explanation shifted from claiming the meat was intended for stray dogs to asserting it was merely frozen blood.
By Yap Wan Xiang — 09 Oct 2024, 12:25 PM
A kopitiam outlet in Kota Kemuning, Selangor has responded to viral photos showing its employees washing what appeared to be meat beside a drain
The incident was first highlighted in a private Kota Kemuning community Facebook group on Monday, 7 October.
A member of the group claimed to have seen a pile of frozen meat being placed on top of a drain grille.
Upon closer inspection, they saw two employees washing the meat, prompting them to quickly take photos of the act.
"The foreign [workers] saw me take photos and quickly took a container to put the frozen meat inside like nothing happened," they said, adding that the incident occurred at the back of the outlet.
The post sparked a heated discussion in the Facebook group, prompting the restaurant to respond by posting a notice on its premises
Several members of the community Facebook page shared photos of the notice on the restaurant's roller shutter, which stated that the outlet "will be closed until further notice".
The notice claimed that the employees were following standard operating procedures (SOPs) to dispose of spoiled items from the freezer that had been stored for a week.
"Unfortunately, the staff [members] decided not to throw the bad meat away, instead defrosting them by washing them to be fed to the stray dogs later in the day.
"Washing near the drain is a no-no. Our workers did it, not thinking much because they were bad meat. We have terminated all kitchen staff with immediate effect," read the notice.
The restaurant apologised for its lack of supervision and acknowledged that washing anything near the drain was unacceptable.
However, the restaurant's response did not sit well with many group members, who argued that it is irrational to wash meat intended for stray dogs
"[Do you think we believe that your staff members had] free time to go to the back to clean old meat to give to the stray dogs?! Nonsense. Do you think people are stupid? Is the manager sleeping? Are foreign workers stupid? Is it easier to fire them before the truth comes out?" read a comment.
Many similar comments can be found on other social media posts.
"I'll give five stars for the excuse given by the restaurant," wrote a netizen, while another added sarcastically, "Such a nice shop. They wash the meat before disposal. Learn from them guys. Environmentally friendly."
Following further backlash, the restaurant responded again, backpedalling on its initial explanation
In a new notice titled Update 2, after further investigation, the restaurant claimed that what was seen in the viral photos was actually "bloody ice" from the freezer, not meat.
"Our staff [members were] actually trying to clean the freezer's frozen ice bloodstain, not meat," the notice read.
The notice also claimed that the size of the unfresh chicken carcass was too large to be disposed of through the drain grille.
Speaking to Sin Chew Daily, a representative from the restaurant apologised for the inaccurate information issued in its first notice.
They said the restaurant's SOPs involve removing "bloody ice" from the bottom of the freezer and cleaning any residue.
The representative explained that while the "bloody ice" resembled like fresh red meat from a distance, it was not.
They added that the restaurant's first notice stating that the meat was meant for stray dogs actually referred to frozen chicken bones. The representative assured customers that everything served at the restaurant is fresh.
According to the restaurant's Facebook page, the kopitiam brand has at least five outlets in the Klang Valley. Its branch in Kota Kemuning opened less than a month ago, on 10 September.
