THE price of food is once again under the spotlight after a netizen vented his frustrations on social media over what he perceives to be poor QC (quality control) in food & beverage (F&B) outlets at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).
Facebook (FB) user Nav Nair had complained of being charged a whopping RM63.10 by a café at the KLIA for two very simple portions of nasi lemak.
The post was quickly picked up by other netizens and was soon trending as is usually the case with postings on over-priced food. One netizen who shared the post on X (formerly Twitter) asked if KLIA was even monitoring the situation, branding the whole episode as “pathetic”.
This is KLIA, don’t u guys monitor the pricing? #pathetic Nasi Lemak comes to RM63.10. Is it all airport pricing or maybe some fancy dish, but this is ridiculous. Just fried chicken, ikan bilis, rice and spoon of sambal in a box. pic.twitter.com/y8bKp7cNgP
— BrotherBatu Return (@morasaki12) April 13, 2024
Given that the issue was trending and that even the mainstream media had picked up on it, both Malaysia Airports Bhd as well as the café in question – Queen Coffee & Meals – both reached out to the complainant.
It has since been reported that the issue has been settled amicably with the restaurant apologising for staff mistake in presenting food that did not meet the required standards. It even posted a picture of what its meals were supposed to look like.
Clarification statement from Malaysia Airports on Nav Nair’s feedback. Follow us and stay updated with the latest news! pic.twitter.com/ReCpwyQo9L
— Malaysia Airports (@MY_Airports) April 14, 2024
While the matter seems to have been settled amicably, what surprised the original poster was the level of abuse he encountered over this episode.
In a latest FB post, he said he was shocked that so many netizens (including people he knew) saw fit to throw brick brats at him for highlighting this issue. He pointed out keyboard warriors who felt implored to pass judgement without reading the post or understanding the issue at hand.
He was at pains to explain that he understood that there will always be a premium attached to eateries at airports due to high rental. However, he explained that the food was not up to expectations and did not justify the premium price tag.
He said he felt duty bound to highlight this issue to ensure higher standards are maintained at restaurants and to ensure other consumers are not similarly fleeced. He said he was extremely disheartened to read comments that belittled him for not being aware of airport pricing, asking if he was a novice traveller.
Some netizens claimed that prices in airports abroad are even worse, yet one does not hear of similar complaints.
More than a few chided the complainant for not checking menu pricing before ordering.
While some even questioned the poster’s motive.
Whatever said and done, Nav Nair does indeed have a valid point that there is now a new culture of those who simply want to hurl invective on social media without properly understanding the issue.
Many Malaysians are seemingly very quick to pass judgement without taking the time to digest the facts or the scenario.
A culture of mocking has taken hold – especially among netizens – who can hide behind anonymous avatars and this perhaps is even sadder than the over-priced/sub-standard nasi lemak. – April 15, 2024
