PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Muslim Restaurant Owners Association (Presma) is in the process of suing a woman who made several negative claims about some mamak restaurants through a video, said its president Datuk Jawahar Ali Taib Khan.
He told theSun yesterday Presma has begun the process of pursuing legal action against the TikTok user, known as Kak Dya, after she alleged some mamak restaurants engage in appalling practices.
“The video has humiliated Indian Muslim restaurateurs with its serious allegations, and we have hired a lawyer to pursue legal action against her.
“The TikTok user claimed several mamak restaurants had unhygienic practices and superstitious beliefs like wrapping biryani rice with a man’s underwear. She also claimed that a medium-sized ‘toyol’ (stillborn child spirit) urinated into a pot of curry sauce.”
Jawahar said other claims made by the woman included one that a mamak restaurant in Perak used bathwater to cook gravies, and a restaurant serving dhal gravy containing frozen human faeces.
He also said the video garnered over a million views and was shared almost 30,000 times since Jan 11 and spread across various social media platforms such as WhatsApp and X before being deleted.
The TikTok account holder posts content involving “mystique, mystery and history”, and has over 1.3 million followers.
Jawahar said almost 100 police reports have been lodged by Presma members, and he expects more to be made.
“We have downloaded the video. Even if she apologises, we will pursue the matter so that other irresponsible people will not make similarly disparaging claims,” he said, stressing that the allegations are baseless and unsupported by any facts or evidence.
“We vehemently deny the allegations in the video. It is filled with malice and is bound to create a negative impression of all mamak restaurants, which prioritise cleanliness and food quality.”
He said the “deliberate act” of uploading the video was a calculated move to use social media platforms to spread misinformation and slander for the sake of publicity.
“She misused these platforms to manipulate public perception through false narratives and damaging content just to become more popular.”
He added that Presma has requested police to investigate the matter under the Sedition Act 1948, and the Communication and Multimedia Act of 1998, and to take appropriate action against all parties involved.
“The accusation needs to be thoroughly investigated because it undermines the credibility of the mamak restaurant business as well as (riling up) racial sensitivities.
“The video is tantamount to an act of sedition against the Indian Muslim community and mamak restaurant owners in Malaysia. It also threatens public peace.
“We hope this issue will be a lesson to others so that nobody will make such disparaging statements or allegations in future just to boost their popularity, especially when not backed with evidence,” he said.
