Food For Thought: RM9 Economy Rice Raises Question On Transparency In Pricing

Many believed that the portion of food was not worth the price and that it was unreasonably expensive.

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A woman was charged RM9 for a meal consisting of steamed egg and diced meat with rice at an economy rice (chap fan) restaurant in Klang.

The incident occurred a few days ago and has since gone viral on social media.

According to a post on Xiaohongshu, the woman claimed that she hadn’t eaten for a long time and happened to pass by the restaurant, so she decided to patronize it.

However, when she received the bill, she was shocked that she had been charged RM9 for her meal.

The woman had only taken one portion of steamed egg, one portion of diced pork, and rice.

She had assumed the meal would cost RM7 but was surprised to find it was RM9.

The Chinese ‘Menu Rahmah’

After the post was uploaded to social media, it sparked heated discussions among netizens.

Many believed that the portion of food was not worth the price and that it was unreasonably expensive.

Economy rice or ‘chap fan’ is a food or food stall serving many dishes accompanied by rice, commonly found in hawker centres, street vendors or food courts.

The price of chap fan may vary depending on the location and vendor, but it is generally considered an affordable and convenient meal option.

Chap fan (economy rice) saving me from broke-ism. Only RM7 and that’s a huge piece of fish 🥹 pic.twitter.com/CRS9rPPx2y
— Rosie Josie (@josieedotcom) August 3, 2022

While some netizens joked that the price of rice had increased and that Chinese people were eating expensive rice, others expressed concern over the rising cost of living in Malaysia.

The incident has shed light on the issue of food prices in Malaysia, with many calling for greater transparency and fairness in pricing.