Restaurant owner Fadzil A. Bakar said the items seen being washed last week were leftovers prepared for stray animals, with the cleaning process meant to remove excess oil and spices, according to The New Straits Times.
His restaurant in the city of Seremban sells nasi kandar, a Malaysian dish comprising steamed rice and a variety of vegetables and proteins.
Screenshot from a video showing a worker washing leftover food. Photo courtesy of Facebook/Silohna King |
He said reselling leftover food would not be feasible because it would spoil quickly and produce a bad smell that customers would notice.
In a TikTok video posted on Friday to clarify the incident, Fadzil – together with animal lover Manikandan Krisnansamy – said that animal welfare volunteers regularly come to the restaurant to collect discarded food for wild animals.
“I took this disposed food for wild animals such as cats, birds and rats. I asked the restaurant to wash the meat so it doesn’t get greasy because the animals can get sick,” said Manikandan.”I have 14 restaurants and this is the first time I’ve faced such an issue,” he said.
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Screenshot of Fadzil A. Bakar speaking about the incident in a video. Photo courtesy of Tiktok/ipk.tv5 |
Fadzil also said he has been operating restaurants for many years and described the episode as unprecedented, adding that hygiene standards remain a key priority, according to Malaysian newspaper Daily Rays.
“We do take cleanliness seriously, and if a premises is given a compound because a worker is not wearing an apron or slippers, we will deduct the worker’s salary for not following the rules.”
Fadzil said the worker shown in the video was newly hired and may have misunderstood the process, wrongly stating that the food was being washed for reuse. He said the viral clip had damaged the restaurant’s reputation.
“As a matter of fact, people have the right to complain. But that’s not the way to do it. You should ask the management first, not continue to spread the virus until it destroys the business,” he said.
Fadzil said the restaurant has followed guidance from the Malaysian Ministry of Health and is cooperating with its investigation, including conducting a trial run.
He added that a police report has been lodged against the individual who circulated the video.
On Feb. 4, authorities ordered the restaurant to shut for two weeks under Section 11 of the Food Act and issued a compound notice under the Food Hygiene Regulations.
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