Many parents, especially those working long hours, rely on school canteens to ensure their children eat well. When that basic expectation isn’t met, it’s more than just a pricing issue, but a matter of trust.
A TikTok video recently went viral after a Malaysian mother exposed the sad reality of what her child’s school canteen serves to the students, a “burger” that barely lived up to its name.
RM3 burger with just bread, sauce, and one lonely nugget?
A TikTok user @leena.scha posted a video originally shared in the PIBG group chat of her child’s school.
In the clip, a father is seen examining a burger allegedly bought from the school canteen for RM3. Inside? Just a squishy bun, a tiny splash of sauce, and one single chicken nugget as the patty.
The video quickly made rounds among parents, many of whom couldn’t believe how little their kids were getting for their money. Even the caption hit hard:
Parents have been reporting left and right… It’s getting out of hand! I really pity the kids at school just trying to eat.
Not everyone can afford more, you know? But don’t treat the kids like this. RM3 for a mini-sized burger?! And the “patty” is just a single nugget… what even is that?! ”
Watch the video here:
@leena.scha Alahai.. fenin lah isu kantin sekolah ni.. sana sini memekak pasai isu kantin ni.. tapi tu lah hakak pun salah sorang jugak.. sebab penah hadap depan mata.. kemonnnn !!! Parents da pakat report sana sini… too much lah! Kesian anak2 kat sekolah nak makan. Tak semua orang mampu kot kan.. tp jangan buat anak2 camtu.. rm3 buger size mini tu kot!!! .. daging tu nugget camtu .. amender lah hah .. beli tepi jalan pun dapat full ! Ehh i kenot brain lah.. mula la kan..rm3 besa lah mat standard size!! Banyak betul komplen kantin ni da.. sampai harini .. ke sini lah jawabnya..x silap bulan lepas ada isu apa kantin kena tutup smntara. Isu makanan jangan cakap lah mmg penat dah komplen mak pak… n harini datang video ni kt group parents sekolah.. so hakak pun ada anak2 kat sini.. sekolah mmg ok sangat d best.. tapi pngurusan kantin ni .. tak tau lah apa masalahnya dah ni.. harap pohak yang btgjwb tolong jenguk2 n bantu2 sikit apa yang patut! Kesian kat anak2 .. tak semua orang mampu .. tu je nak bgtahu! Ada mak ayah keje harap ank2 dpt makan kt sekolah bbaik.. tapi kalau macam ni sedihlah.. sian budak2 bukan tau apa ..
♬ original sound – LeeNa ScHa
Not the first time
Speaking to WeirdKaya, the mother said the school is located in Setia Alam, and it is not the first time the school canteen has been complained.
Parents have actually raised this issue many times through the PIBG (Parents-Teachers Association), and even directly to the headmaster.
Leena confessed that issues have been going on for more than five years. The school canteen was even temporarily closed recently for cleaning.
Apart from that, I just found out there was also a case involving one of the canteen workers in 2023. That case has already been settled, and the worker was found guilty.”
It’s only after this recent video that she decided to share the incident on social media to raise awareness.
She also shared that the PIBG checked, apologised and promised to stop selling those burgers.
However, regarding the changes she would like to see in the canteen, Leena told WeirdKaya that she hopes the operators could be replaced.
The kids are the ones suffering — the food isn’t nutritious, and it’s way too expensive.
In primary school, not many care about these issues, but the reality is that these older canteen operators are clearly taking advantage of kids who don’t know any better.”
Prior to this incident, Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek urged all school canteen operators to follow the ministry’s guidelines.
**Special thanks to Leena for sharing the story.
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