KUALA LUMPUR: In 2015, a menu for a dinner in Parliament made waves as it appeared to serve 'Scissors Salad'.
A picture of the menu went viral and drew widespread derision from members of the public, as well as several ministers.
The 'Scissors Salad' was said to have been printed on a menu for an official dinner between then Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia and parliament officers.
This time around, a Parliament menu has gone viral again, but for a different reason.
With social media talking about a costly wagyu beef dish served during the first day of the 14th Parliament sitting on Monday, the company responsible for the catering in Parliament clarifies that it is not as expensive as claimed.
The wagyu beef served for the VIPs on Monday only cost RM280 per kilogramme, and not RM2,000 as alleged on social media.
In clarifying the matter, Putrade Property Management Sdn Bhd manager Wan Abdullah Wan Mohamad said the management of Parliament did not order the wagyu beef dish.
He informed that the dish, which was served for eight VIPs including the Prime Minister was courtesy of the caterer to celebrate Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and the new government.
The menu served on Monday, apart from the soy sauce Wagyu beef with potatoes, were ayam percik, buttered tiger prawns, mutton ribs fried with spices, Japanese tofu steamed with broccoli, gado-gado, peanut sauce, white rice, fruits and juice.
The budget for the entire meal for the main VIP table was set at RM50 per head, with Wan Abdullah reiterating that the wagyu beef dish was complimentary.
"The size of the dish was not that big, it was just 160 grammes per person, and the selection of the menu was discussed in a meeting before it was prepared.
"The viral posting that claimed a luxurious meal worth thousands of ringgit was served, is false. They should have obtained an explanation from us first instead of spreading fake information on social media," he said when met by NSTP today.
Wan Abdullah expressed disappointment when the dish became an issue when it was just the caterer's intention to celebrate the formation of a new government.
"Normal beef can be a bit hard and not suitable for Tun who is already 93 years old.
"He is the head of the government and it is not wrong if we want to be cautious about what he eats," Wan Abdullah said.
Meanwhile, Wan Abdullah said the entire cost to celebrate the new members of Parliament at the event was RM18,750.
"This cost is for food for 450 guests," he said.
The picture of the wagyu beef menu served during a luncheon in Parliament emerged on social media last night.
It quickly garnered Netizens attention as they questioned the price of the menu.