Malaysian shares story on almost being "scammed" at pasar malam, netizens are divided on whether it is done with malicious intent

The pasar malam is a place to find good and cheap food, but can also contain a lot of dubious personalities. (Photo: Getty Images)

The Malaysian night market, also known as pasar malam, is one of the most unique cultures of the country, offering many food items and daily necessities all in one spot, sometimes cheaper than what you can find elsewhere. But it is also one of the places that would spark something a little out of the ordinary.

A Reddit user by the username of balistafear shared their experience at a pasar malam in an undisclosed location, raising questions about a barbecue chicken wing vendor’s actions.

The Redditor wrote, “Walking by, I decided I wanted to try some BBQ chicken wings by this vendor. I asked for the price; chicken wings on skewer RM5, chicken ribs on skewer RM5, chicken breast meat on skewer RM10.

“I thought the price was over the top, but as I don’t regularly buy this, I decided to just get one wing to fulfil my craving. Passed him RM20. He immediately turned to the stall next door and asked for small change. They dug their cash and exchanged his RM10 for two RM5.”

“He then proceeds to give me back RM5. Immediately I told him I gave him RM20. He said ok, and gave me back another RM10.”

While acknowledging that it could have been a sincere mistake, balistafear also said, “He didn’t seem surprised/shocked/alert or even hesitant to give the extra RM10 I claim is mine.”

The Redditor even went on to speculate if they were charged for the food items based on their race.

Some have similar experiences, some say it was a mistake

The incident has sparked discussions on the social media forum about the vendor’s transparency, business ethics, and also the potential of it being an honest mistake.

Some Reddit users also shared similar experiences, while others cautioned the poster against making unfounded accusations. Some also highlighted the difficulty in handling petty cash for a business.

User wiserlul, sharing a personal experience as a tourist, recounted a similar incident of receiving incorrect change, prompting them to count their money meticulously.

“Is this common in Malaysia or what? As a tourist, I visited the Donki bar near Pavilion last year. Bought a wagyu skewer for RM15, gave a RM100 note. Cashier gave me RM75, 7 x 10 dollar note and a 1 x 5 dollar note,” the user wrote.

“Turning and walking away while counting, found RM10 missing. Turned back to ask for it and he just gave me, never even questioning me or double checking whose fault it was. Hard to pinpoint if he is doing it on purpose ya? But I made a point to count my notes every time it was handed over by the cashier. Dirty hands.”

Another user @zeemo123, who is a former cashier, said they have sometimes made honest mistakes when giving change.

“Sometimes it’s an honest mistake, I’ve been a cashier before and I also will willingly just give a stranger whatever they said they’d given, because I am also 50/50 on whether I did make a mistake,” the user wrote.

“Can’t imagine how I would react tho if someone would post a photo of me working at the cashier on reddit with some hefty criminal profiling paragraph on how I want to scam a 10 ringgit of them.”

User top_sandwich3504 cautioned against making broad generalisations about the seller’s intentions based on race and urged the poster against jumping to conclusions.

“It seems like you’re reaching and making broad generalisations. Assuming his prices vary based on your race isn’t fair, especially considering it’s not uncommon to find a Chinese person at a Malay pasar malam. It could be an innocent mistake, but taking his picture and writing an essay with unfounded assumptions about him on Reddit seems….icky,” the user wrote.

Are 20 ringgit notes and 10 ringgit notes too similar?

User @Zedquincy, drawing on their experience as a former hawker and cashier, chimed in on the difficulties handling the similarly coloured RM10 and RM20 notes.

“One common mistake I made, both as a hawker and a cashier, was occasionally confusing RM20 notes for RM10 notes,” they wrote.

To minimise the confusion, the user will ask the customer what they’re owed, and provide it to them. They will even segregate the notes in different parts of their cashier drawer to avoid getting them mixed up.

The 10 ringgit and 20 ringgit are very similar in colours, and may lead to confusion among its users. (Photo: Getty Images)

However, they also added that there were times where customers will be trying to pull a fast one.

“Despite these precautions, there were instances where individuals insisted they gave a certain amount,” they wrote. “As a hawker, it was challenging to verify such claims, but as a cashier, I could identify discrepancies during the cash register reconciliation.”

User tuvokvutok also chimed in on the similarities. “Nah you’re overthinking this. 10 and 20 look very much alike (stupid design). And he’s doing probably hundreds of transactions a day,” they said.

“And you’re lucky he’s one of those who just concedes when told wrong. Some actually would contest it.”

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