A nasi lemak stall in Penang found itself in the spotlight after a heated altercation with a dissatisfied customer over missing ingredients turned ugly.
According to a viral post on Penang Kini, a customer berated a vendor for selling egg and ikan bilis (anchovies) separately from the nasi lemak rice, a practice the stall claims has been in place for the past two years without issue.
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“Don’t go pretending to be shocked after everything’s already been packed — asking whether the anchovies and eggs are charged separately. Yes, we do charge them separately. We only add them if customers want them. If they don’t, we don’t include them,” the post read.
“We’ve been running this stall for over two years, and no one has ever complained. Suddenly you show up from who-knows-where questioning whether anchovies and eggs should be charged. Then you ask if the set doesn’t normally come with rice, egg, and anchovies.
“Then you say we might as well sell scooped rice only. Well, that’s our choice — because we don’t include eggs or anchovies unless customers ask for them.
“Some people don’t want anchovies or eggs. And after we explained everything to you clearly, you still went off swearing and cursing.
“Honestly, I think our prices are among the cheapest around — you won’t find prices like these elsewhere. All our customers say our food is cheap.
“We give generous portions, but when it comes to paying, you curse us?” the user wrote.
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The incident stirred debate online, with many Malaysians weighing in on whether the practice aligns with the expectations of the iconic national dish.
One user called Muhammad Najib commented: “Original nasi lemak must come with ikan bilis (anchovies) and egg. If you want to add other dishes, then yes, charge those separately à la carte. But don’t call it nasi lemak if there’s no ikan bilis and egg — call it “scooped rice with dishes,” got it?
“You’re running a business, others are running businesses too... but it seems like you don’t even understand what you’re selling. Only been selling for two years, but acting like you’ve been doing it for forty.
“When we do business, don’t speak with arrogance. Remember, sustenance comes from God. Don’t act like you’re above everyone — we all came from the earth,” the user lashed out.
“Luckily they didn’t charge separately for the rice and the coconut milk too,” Lili Madina wrote.
“If the anchovies and egg are charged separately, that’s not nasi lemak, sis, that’s mixed rice (nasi campur) hahahaha,” Syuhaini Ramli opined.
Meanwhile, Sarah Faatihah begged to differ, stating, “We’re used to nasi lemak coming with egg and anchovies included. But maybe the seller is just trying to be fair to their customers — like, you didn’t take the anchovies, so I don’t want to earn dirty money by charging you for something you didn’t take.
“The truth is, we can’t assume that what applies in one place applies everywhere, or to everyone. The seller runs a business and bears the cost. As a buyer, you need to have manners and know the proper way to deal when buying.
