KUALA LUMPUR, April 19 — The person behind the online storm over a restaurant’s RM10 fee for “air-conditioning” had been aware of the charge, the outlet’s management claimed.
According to The Star Online, the management claimed that the individual who uploaded a snapshot of the bill online had booked the restaurant’s executive dining room for a party of 10 people and used the space for over three hours.
“For their exclusive usage of the air conditioned room, we charged the customer a nominal fee of RM10 which he had requested to waive, and we waived it.
“We did a favour for the customer by just charging a nominal fee instead of a booking fee, which we waived in the end,” the management was quoted saying in the news portal’s report.
Earlier today, Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin said the restaurant in Lucky Gardens, Bangsar, will be investigated over the matter.
The minister said, however, that it was not illegal to charge for such a service if the customer is informed ahead.
An image of the individual’s bill showing the RM10 “air conditioning” charge was uploaded to Facebook on April 15 and has been making its rounds on social media sites.
Internet users railed against the restaurant for imposing such a charge, especially as it was listed as separate from the 6 per cent charge under the Goods and Services Tax (GST).
