While mamak restaurants are the preferred hangout spot for many Malaysians, there’s no denying that Muslims make up most of the customers – which is probably why the recent spotting of a pet dog at a mamak has many angered.
In a now-deleted post, a Facebook user shared a photo of two women dining at a mamak restaurant with a pet dog, shown sitting on a chair while the two women were having a meal. The incident reportedly took place last weekend in Bukit Beruntung, Selangor.
The photo quickly went viral and angered many netizens, who claimed that the two women had disrespected Muslim customers by letting their pet dog into the food establishment. Following the public outcry, Facebook user Tahir Salam, believed to be the owner of the restaurant, clarified the viral image. In his post, he said the workers were unaware that the women had brought a dog to the establishment, as only one had made the order before the other arrived with the pet.
The owner added that the two women apologised and left the restaurant after a staff member reprimanded them. The following day, Tahir posted in the ‘Bukit Sentosa/Beruntung Residents’ Facebook group, sharing that the table and chair where the dog sat had been cleaned and purified (samak), so it is now safe to be used by Muslims. He also included several images of a staff member performing the purification process.
Many netizens praised the owner’s quick response but also suggested the restaurant put up a signage warning against bringing pets to the establishment. A few comments also urged non-Muslims to be more mindful of religious sensitivities to avoid a similar incident in the future.
Kudos to Tahir for his quick response – but what do you think about this incident?
Adleena contributed to this article.
