A viral incident involving a customer who fled after being charged RM59 for a plate of char koay teow has ignited fierce debate online, with netizens overwhelmingly siding against the vendor’s pricing strategy.
The controversy emerged through a Facebook video posted by Penang Kini, featuring the frustrated vendor recounting how a customer literally ran away upon hearing the price for his “char koay teow special.” The dish reportedly included noodles, prawns, cockles, an egg, and sliced chilies.
The vendor explained that the customer had initially acted arrogantly and even requested an additional half-boiled egg before discovering the RM59 price tag.
“When the customer made the order, he acted arrogantly and even asked for an extra half-boiled egg. But once he heard it was RM59, he immediately ran off,“ the vendor stated in the video.
Emphasising that the price was RM59 and not RM59,000, the vendor expressed his frustration, saying:, “If you didn’t have the money to eat, you should just go to a cheaper stall instead.” The vendor also made disparaging remarks about the customer in the clip before appealing for public support for his business.
However, the online response via Reddit was overwhelmingly critical of the vendor’s pricing.
User @malice089 commented that they would also run away if the char koay teow looked like that and cost RM59.
@kuhanh91 initially thought the vendor might be using premium tiger prawns or lobster to justify the RM59 pricing, but after seeing photos of the food, concluded it appeared to be average char koay teow.
The same netizen noted having visited five-star hotels where superior-looking char koay teow cost less than RM50.
@nova9001 criticized the vendor’s audacity in asking for support after pricing char koay teow with only three prawns, one egg, and some cockles at RM59.
@No_Bell8649 expressed anger, arguing that customers aren’t foolish enough to order if they knew the price upfront, and criticized stalls that display menus without showing prices. @GladeHeart predicted that city council or town police would likely visit the stall within a few days.
The incident has highlighted ongoing concerns about transparent pricing practices and the importance of clearly displaying prices to avoid customer shock.
Many commenters emphasised that while vendors have the right to set their prices, customers also have the right to know costs upfront and make informed decisions.
The controversy underscores broader discussions about food pricing, customer service, and business transparency in Malaysia’s street food scene. The viral nature of the incident demonstrates how quickly pricing disputes can escalate into public relations challenges for food vendors.
