MALAYSIA: A spate of food and beverage joint employees recently caught on camera engaging in unhygienic practices has shocked Malaysians, who have since called for action to be taken by the authorities.
Perhaps the most high-profile of the incidents involves a female employee of an Auntie Anne’s outlet in Kuala Lumpur who was seen putting some dough up to her mouth as though she were “kissing” it.
The woman took a video of herself performing the hygienic act, as reported by The Star Malaysia, which also went viral on social media. Many commenters, quite naturally, expressed disgust over the incident.
Her actions were met with decisiveness by the US-based pretzel chain, who announced on Facebook on Oct 8 (Tuesday) that the employee, who was named in the post as Alice Chang, had gotten the boot.
“At Auntie Anne’s Malaysia, we are committed to upholding the highest standards of hygiene and safety for our customers and staff. We do not condone or tolerate any actions that compromise these standards,” the company wrote.
Moreover, it added that the particular outlet, located in Mid Valley Megamall in Kuala Lumpur, would be shut down for the time being to ensure thorough disinfection and cleaning. “Rest assured, your safety and well-being are always our top priority,” Auntie Anne’s added.
Mamak & hawker stall unhygienic incidences
In other news, a restaurant worker was also seen practising repulsive acts.
On Saturday (Oct 5), a video of a man allegedly employed at a mamak eatery in Lipis, a town in Pahang, also went viral. The clip, only a few seconds long, showed the man cleaning cooking pots with the same broom he reportedly used for sweeping.
The Star reported Datuk Mohd Hafiz, the chairman of the Lipis District Council, as saying that the incident is under investigation. If it shows that misconduct was committed, action will be taken.
Many netizens expressed outrage upon seeing the clip.
In another similar incident, a woman recorded a man washing a wok in a drain in Petaling Jaya. The clip was uploaded on the Mynewshub Viral TikTok account on Oct 8.
@mynewshub
The woman can be heard saying aloud in Malay, “The roti canai seller here washes the wok using drain water. Very dirty.” Though the man did not answer the woman, he got up quickly and walked away. /TISG