By Karen Bong
KUCHING, July 25: Kuching South City Council (MBKS) Mayor Dato Wee Hong Seng will investigate a viral social media claim alleging that an influencer had consumed RM76 worth of food at the Kuching Food Festival without making payment, saying that if the incident is proven true, the person involved should step forward and settle the bill.
Commenting on the issue during his ShallWeeTalk live session today, Wee said he was unsure of the authenticity of the claim but stressed that no one, regardless of status or influence, had the right to take advantage of food vendors who were working hard to earn a living.
“Regardless of how others handle things, or your status or position, you have no right not to pay. If I don’t pay, I simply don’t take the food. If I want to buy something, I have to pay for it,” he said.
He said even when someone offered to treat him, he would not take advantage of the gesture, citing the importance of respecting vendors and their livelihoods.
While he said he did not know who the influencer mentioned in the viral post was, Wee however emphasised that the alleged incident should not be used to tarnish the reputation of all influencers.
“I don’t know who that influencer is, and it’s definitely not me. But the point is, a real influencer has quality. They wouldn’t eat without paying or do something like that, unless they are not a real influencer,” he opined.
He said many Sarawakian influencers who returned from various places had contributed positively to the Kuching Food Festival by promoting food stalls and highlighting unique offerings at the event.
“They may not visit every stall, but that does not mean they are trying to ruin things for vendors or stall operators. They choose what they think is special and share it with their audience,” he said.
Wee also cautioned the public against spreading unverified claims online, saying he initially suspected that an image circulating alongside the allegation could have been AI-generated and unfairly pointed towards a particular individual.
“I think people shouldn’t post things like that because making people suspicious like that is very bad,” he said.
He said the matter needed to be clarified first, including whether the person involved was genuinely an influencer.
“I will investigate and see whether this thing really happened. If the vendor affected can step forward, then we will know how to handle it,” he said.
Wee said if the allegation was true, such behaviour should not happen, especially as RM76 was a significant amount for small food operators.
“Everyone is trying to make a living. If someone treats you to a RM3 or RM4 bowl of Kolo Mee, fine, but more than RM70 is a large amount of money,” he said. — DayakDaily
