Minister admits no such thing as RM3 lunch

KUALA LUMPUR - A RM3 bill charged on prime minister Najib Razak by Ukhwah 1Malaysia Restaurant for a meal which normally comes to RM6 has forced Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism minister Ismail Sabri to explain the 50% discount.

Last week, newspapers splashed news about Najib’s RM3 lunch at Ukhwah Restaurant to promote the so-called '1Malaysia People’s Menu' as a way to address rising costs.

However, checks showed that the restaurant had undercharged the prime minister, who took two chicken dishes, fried beef, bean sprouts andpapadum. “White rice, a side dish plus drink are priced at RM4, and there are even some that are cheaper.

"When we take more than what is offered in the menu, then we will need to pay more," Sabri was quoted as saying in UMNO mouthpiece Mingguan Malaysia.

Sabri had also claimed that over 1,000 restaurants were taking part in the programme, saying Najib's lunch experience at the restaurant proved wrong the public's perception that cheap food at the eateries were of low quality.

Following news of Najib's 'cheap lunch', streams of visitors made their way to the restaurant hoping to pay only RM3 for the same dishes, only to later find out that they were charged RM6.

This caused outrage on social media websites, with patrons ridiculing the "double standard" treatment and posting images of their meal alongside their receipts.

Sabri took pains justifying the 50% price difference, and said Najib had “only wanted to test the food quality”, adding that there were only “a few chicken and beef dishes” on Najib’s plate. He however did not explain why Najib was only charged RM3 for the meal.

- Harakahdaily