Woman says she was charged RM80 for simple meal

BUKIT MERTAJAM: How much does it cost for a decent meal of four dishes for two at an economy rice stall?

A woman, known only as Lim from Kulim, Kedah, claimed that she was charged RM80 for the meal with her husband near a temple in Jalan Pasar at about 12.30pm on Sunday.

“We ordered two pieces of stingray in a curry, a bowl of curry with long beans, fried tau pok with cockles, a plate of bean sprouts, a bowl of coagulated pig’s blood and two plates of white rice.

“While we were eating, the owner came to our table and asked us for RM80.

“I was so shocked. When I asked him why it was so expensive, he said everything was expensive. Even fish and vegetables now come with GST (goods and services tax).

“Since we had already started eating, we had no choice but to pay. Even with GST, it’s too expensive.

“I reckon a reasonable price would be around RM20 to RM30 for that meal,” she said.

Lim said they lost their appetites after that and told the owner to pack the leftovers for them to take back.

After reaching home, Lim said, she took two pictures of the dishes she had ordered and posted them on Facebook.

“I am not planning to lodge a complaint against the trader but I want to remind the public to check prices first before eating,” she said.

The stall owner, who is known as Ah Mao, denied the allegation, saying that the meal would only cost about RM19.

“I usually charge RM10 for the two pieces of stingray, RM4 for the curry with long beans, RM1 for the bean sprouts, RM2 for coagulated pig’s blood and RM1 for each plate of rice.

“It’s impossible to charge RM80 for that,” he said.