A few days ago, a story went viral where a man had alleged that a McDonald’s branch in Ayer Keroh, Melaka, had charged him RM10.60 for ten packets of chili sauce. The story received nationwide coverage, with netizens sharing mixed reactions to the incident.
However, the customer was not entirely truthful about the story and, in fact, had staged the incident. In a statement released by McDonald’s Malaysia on 26th September (Tuesday), the fast food chain addressed the incident after an internal investigation and review of CCTV footage from the branch.
According to the statement, the customer did not receive enough chili sauce packets with his order and had requested extras, which a staff promptly provided. However, the customer then became verbally aggressive towards the staff member. He also insisted on paying for the condiments and receiving a receipt despite staff assuring him that they were free of charge. The customer then published the receipt on social media under the guise that he was forced to pay for the condiments.
McDonald’s Malaysia stated that they are “deeply disappointed with the actions of the customer” for being aggressive with the staff and posting inaccurate information on social media. The fast food joint has already reported the incident and the customer to the police. Many netizens have commented on the statement, showing mixed reactions. While some supported the company and said it was good to hear the truth, some shared their experience of being denied or ignored when asking for extra condiments.
Surprisingly, the incident also led netizens to uncover the customer’s identity, who had previously been a politician under the BERSATU political party. He had also competed in a state election in 2018 but is now active as a cyclist and event organiser. This revelation has caused many more netizens to speculate about the man’s motive for fabricating the issue.
While it was disappointing to hear that some people would create fake situations just for attention, it’s good that we could discover the truth in the end.
Sources: Facebook, Twitter, Lowyat.net
