Man in Perak complains cai png overpriced; stall owner says portion is for two

New Paper

3 days ago

A university student in Malaysia complained that a plate of RM18 (S$5.50) mixed rice was "too expensive", to which the owner defended the price by showing surveillance footage of the man rearranging the food before snapping a photo.
Mr Hu told China Press that he patronised a mixed rice stall in Perak, Malaysia, many times and often found the price to be high, but still within an acceptable range.
When he visited for the first time, he paid RM8 for one meat dish and one vegetable dish.
On his second visit, he paid RM11 for three vegetable dishes.
However, on his third and most recent visit on May 30, he was charged RM18 for one meat dish and two vegetable dishes, which he found unacceptable.
"I decided to share this to alert the public and to remind stall owners not to set prices arbitrarily," he told the Malaysian paper.
"They should have reasonable and transparent pricing standards by indicating the prices of each dish so that customers can understand clearly."
He shared that his friend was also charged RM18 and was upset about the price.
His friend filed a complaint with the authorities, and Mr Hu intended to do the same.
"We asked the employee about the price of the mixed rice, and he said the meat was RM10, the two vegetables were RM3 each, and the rice was RM2, totalling to RM18."
An employee told China Press that the portion given was large, suitable for two people, and the meat chosen was pork belly, which has a higher cost.
The stall owner responded to Mr Hu's claim, saying that the presentation of the portion was adjusted to look less than what was given.
"The CCTV footage clearly shows him piling up the food with a spoon and fork," said the owner.
"He also deliberately avoided including the used cutlery stained with sauce when taking the photo. This act is damaging our reputation.
"If he had taken the photo right after receiving the food, we would have no problem with it. However, the plate of food was deliberately manipulated and it's unconvincing."
Mr Hu can be seen handing the cutlery to his friend before snapping a photo of the food. SCREENGRAB: CHINA PRESS
When asked about the stall owner's claims, Mr Hu told the reporter that he used the cutlery to arrange the food to make it neater, and said it was a habit of his.