Cover image via
Hamzah Osman/New Straits Times
& Kosmo!
Subscribe to our Telegram channel for our latest stories and breaking news.
Four of its enforcement officers visited the restaurant yesterday, 5 November, to conduct an investigation under the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011 after the customer’s Facebook post went viral.
According to KPDNHEP Langkawi chief enforcement officer Abdul Rafar Wahid, the ministry has obtained information from both the customer and the Restoran Terapung Sas Rimba owner, Norasyikin Musa.
While advising customers to always check the menu and ensure the prices before placing an order, Abdul Rafar assured that the ministry will investigate the matter in a fair manner.
He was remarking on the customer’s viral post alleging that he was shocked when he saw the bill for a dish of ikan siakap cost RM1,196.80 while he was on vacation in Langkawi, Kedah recently.
The customer was charged RM1,852.50 in total that included other dishes such as RM200 for prawns, RM200 for calamari, RM87.20 for crab, RM27 for kailan, and RM35 for a jug of watermelon juice.
He also alleged that other customers also received shocking bills.
She questioned the customer’s real motive behind the post given the fact that he was informed of the price beforehand and had already agreed to pay for the 11-year-old ikan siakap.
“I really did not expect someone (who appeared to have) a pious character would do such a thing after he personally picked the fish from its enclosure for the dish. I specifically explained to the customer that the 7.48kg fish was actually not for sale as it was meant to be displayed to the customers,” she said.
According to Norasyikin, she had repeatedly informed the customer that the fish that he picked was huge and that particular fish was not for sale as it was displayed as a show for customers in the restaurant.
“I even explained it to him with a hand gesture about its size,” she said, adding that after finishing their meals, none of the diners confronted her to seek an explanation on the price.
“Even when they were leaving the restaurant, none of them argued over the price for the siakap.”