Everyone loves giving and receiving free stuff, but for one watermelon vendor in Penang, it ended up costing him way more than he anticipated.
This was because he had given away his stockpile of watermelons to the public for zero charge due to a misunderstanding.
M’sian man gives out over 400kg of free watermelons, loses RM3,000
According to Berita Harian, the issue first went viral on social media yesterday (Mar 2), where it was later confirmed by the vendor himself, Mohd Musdi Mustafa Kamal.
Speaking to the Malay daily, Mohd Musdi said he had shared a video on social media announcing that he would be giving free watermelons at 4pm at his stall along Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah.
However, he revealed the giveaway was borne out of a misunderstanding on his part.
“Someone from Seberang Perai had called to tell me he was interested in sponsoring watermelons for a public donation, also known as infaq in Islam.
“He told me he wanted to distribute the watermelons at 4pm on the first day of Ramadan, but had asked me to come up with an announcement video and send it to him beforehand.
However, I didn’t ask for the exact amount he wished to donate and posted the announcement video that night,” he said, admitting that it was a mistake.
Needless to say, the clip garnered widespread attention and it resulted in a throng of people crowding at Mohd Musdi’s stall from as early as 2pm, with some even coming all the way from Seberang Perai.
He was later alerted of the situation by a staff and rushed to the scene. As for the donor, he later revealed that he only intended to donate RM200 worth of watermelons.
Despite knowing that it would result in hefty losses for him, Mohd Musdi went ahead with the giveaway and over 400kg of watermelons were given for free, but it led to a RM3,000 loss for him.
‘I’ve learnt my lesson’
Mohd Musdi said he accepted the giving away of free watermelons as a form of charity, adding he couldn’t leave the public empty-handed, especially those who walked for more than a kilometer to his stall.
“We also received backlash and criticism from the public who claimed we were dishonest, but fortunately, some were understanding.
“I’ve taken this incident to be a lesson and will be more careful in the future,” he said.
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