JAN 13 — It was a simple request. Yet, it turned into a frustrating dining experience.
I was at a local cafe in Kuala Lumpur recently and wanted to enjoy a nice breakfast meal.
“I would like to have my eggs well done, please,” I said to the waiter after pointing out my order from the menu.
The waiter, a foreigner, nodded his head and left.
Fifteen minutes later, my English breakfast set arrives. Everything looks delicious except the eggs. They were runny. I called the waiter and explained I was not a fan of sunny side up eggs.
The conversation went something like this: “Eggs well done please. Kasi masak betul-betul,” I said while pointing at my dish.
The foreign helper nodded his head again and walked to the kitchen with my plate.
Five minutes later, his female colleague returned with the same plate and the same runny eggs!
She smiled and said ‘Yes’ and smiled again. I immediately said “No”.
I point to the eggs and repeated myself: “Eggs well done, well done please.”
“Kasi goreng. Masak betul-betul,” I said in Bahasa Melayu hoping she would understand me better.
She said, “OK” and left. I wondered if “Yes” and “OK” were the only two words in their vocabulary.
I looked around and tried to locate a local staff. But none were seen.
There were at least seven (including the kitchen staff) who were foreigners. I was not sure about their nationality but they could have been from Laos or Cambodia.
Some 20 minutes or so later, I got my eggs — minus the yolks!
I was in disbelief. It was so frustrating and I became furious. But I knew it was pointless to say anything to them. I was forced to pay for something I was not happy with.
Friends and family members have also had their fair share of frustrations at the local eatery. They called it “normal”.
A friend said his simple request of pepper to add flavour to a dish was greeted by a Chinese newspaper.
My dad once asked for Tabasco sauce and the waiter said they didn’t have it — although a bottle was seen at the counter. The word suam (warm) to some waiters at mamak restaurants simply means boiling hot.
The list goes on. The service industry in the country is turning into a joke but many see it as petty, adding there were many other pressing issues that needed to be addressed.
Interestingly, a prerequisite set by the Home Ministry is applications to employ foreign workers will only be considered when efforts to find qualified local citizens and permanent residents have failed. The ministry’s guideline states foreign workers are not allowed to work as front line workers including cashiers and in the service industry, foreigners are allowed to work as cooks only.
The Cabinet Committee on Foreign Workers and Illegal Immigrants, had last week, decided foreigners were banned from working at fast-food outlets. The decision came about as the committee believed locals were eager to take up such jobs.
However, the committee stopped short from explaining the mechanism that would be applied and the time frame for the regulation to kick in. Also, the ban was strictly for fast-food restaurants and not cafes.
The growing number of foreign workers in the food industry is escalating. This is evident based on the workforce at most restaurants.
Perhaps the government should start enforcing guidelines concerning foreigners working at other eateries.
While I understand the need to rely on foreign helpers, we must also ensure those coming to work here are able to at least speak basic English — beyond words like “OK”, “Yes” and “No”.
As we step into Visit Malaysia Year 2014, we hope the service industry would buck up and show the world what we are capable of. Tourists who visit the country would certainly like to taste our food and the last thing they need is to leave Malaysia with a bad taste in their mouths.
It starts with the act of getting a simple order right.
* This is the personal opinion of the columnist.
