It’s truly sad that even during the holy month of Ramadan — a time for increased charity, generosity and virtuosity for Muslims — this couple chose to disgrace themselves thoroughly with a stupid stunt at Geylang Serai Bazaar. An innocent food vendor was wrongly accused of selling keropok (deep fried crackers) made of plastic because it was flammable.
Dude even lit one of the keropok he bought from the shop and held up the burning piece of food, confident that he uncovered the ultimate truth.
It’s a stunt so dumb that even the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) dunked on the fool and reminded members of the public not to spread misinformation like the man tried to do.
Fake Plastic News
The whole rigamarole was caught on video that went up on Facebook on Tuesday. Watch it below, and scroll down for the commentary.
The clip itself seems to be intentionally planned, judging from how the recording started from afar, identifying the number of the stall at Geylang Serai Bazaar. The silliness begins after the man finishes paying for a pack of keropok lekor from the stall.
Side note: keropok lekor is traditional Malay delicacy that’s a long-time mainstay at all night markets here, alongside Ramly Burgers and vadai. Lekor has variations in texture, shape, and crispiness, but it’s basically a deep-fried snack made from fish, sago flour and various seasonings. It’s delicious when dipped in sambal.
Instead of eating it though, the man — accompanied by his wife and children — whipped out a lighter and torched a keropok piece right in front of the vendors. The flame stayed lit, and this was apparently proof that the keropok was made of plastic, according to the couple.
“If it’s not plastic, it won’t burn until like that,” said the mother. “That’s what we saw on Facebook”.
Most likely, she’s referring to viral videos that accuse food makers of using synthetic material in their products. Two years ago in Malaysia, someone burnt a cream cracker and claimed that it was coated with a layer of plastic due its flammability. Biscuit and crackers manufacturer Hup Seng had to assure everyone that their products are safe for consumption and that it is the very characteristic of flour and/or oil-related food products that they will combust and burn.
In a rather condescending manner, the man in the video tells the lady behind the counter to stop selling her food to customers. “We’re all eating plastic. It’s best that you don’t sell (the food)”, he said in Malay. He goes on to claim that he could even smell that it was burning plastic.
The video goes on and on with the couple trying to tell the severely confused vendors off for “selling plastic”.
AVA issues statement
Since the video went viral, AVA has since stepped in to dismiss the claims made by the belligerent couple.
“It is claimed that the keropok is made of plastic because it seems to burn continuously after it was lighted up. In actual fact, food products that contain fats, carbohydrates, and protein can burn in this manner and become charred.”
The authority also added that they did not receive any feedback on the “plastic” cracker at all, and have so far not detected any fake food in Singapore thus far.
“So before you believe or spread such fake news, do exercise good judgement on whether your information sources are credible. We are sure you wouldn’t want to be the one spreading misinformation and causing unnecessary public alarm and confusion to the public.”
It’s unclear if any actions are being taken against the couple — which should be done, considering how they might have besmirched the reputation of the bazaar vendor for nothing. In Malay, there’s a word to describe his act — “fitnah”, which means to slander and libel, aiming to spread disbelief and unrest. Again, it’s sad that the couple’s committing such a serious sin during Ramadan.
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