KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Muslim Restaurant Owners Association (Presma) has lodged a police report over a social media influencer's claims that a 'mamak' restaurant had used men's underwear as part of the cooking preparation for making biryani rice.
Its president Datuk Jawahar Ali Taib Khan described the allegations made by a TikTok influencer as baseless and malicious.
"We believe that the statement and allegations made by the influencer contain malicious intent without strong evidence and we strongly deny the allegations made by her through the video (published).
"We are also of the view that the user's action in uploading the content can create a negative perspective towards other 'mamak' restaurants in Malaysia, consequently damaging their businesses.
"Once again, we would like to emphasise that 'mamak' restaurant owners in Malaysia consistently prioritise cleanliness and food quality for their customers at all times," he said in a statement.
Following this, Jawahar also called on the user to remove the video uploaded via TikTok immediately.
"Presma reserves all rights to take legal action against any defamation and allegations if the user fails to comply (in removing the video)."
He was referring to a two-minute video which went viral on TikTok. The influencer in the video had urged the public not to visit a particular 'mamak' restaurant, which she claimed had engaged in unsavoury practices.
In the video, the influencer claimed the restaurant used men's underwear to wrap its biryani rice.
She had also claimed to have witness a 'toyol' (a supernatural creature in Malay superstition) urinating in a pot of curry at the restaurant.
The influencer also alleged that the restaurant's former employee admitted that their employer had utilised used bath water to cook, and claimed that lentil soups contained faeces.