KUALA LUMPUR: A family faced a wedding disaster when their hired catering company failed to show up and did not return calls.
Despite the setback, they managed to salvage the celebration by preparing a modest meal for the guests with the help of sponsors.
One of the bride's family members, Burhanuddin Rabbani Abdul Shukor, 31 never anticipated that the significant day would transform into a nightmare due to the catering company's no-show.
In a Facebook post, he apologised to the guests for not being able to serve the usual Nasi Minyak at their wedding and instead offering a modest meal.
"We fell victim to fraud by the catering company booked by our sister, but they did not show up. We tried calling multiple times, but there was no response. The total order was made for 1,000 guests.
"But we could only prepare a meal estimated for 400 guests, consisting of chicken curry, sambal belacan, fruits and salads," he said in a Facebook post.
At the very last minute, he said the family divided into several groups to find table sets, chairs, large pots, and items for cooking the wedding dishes.
"Fortunately, everything went smoothly today, despite having only one dish. Some generous individuals contributed by sponsoring apam balik, popcorn, and pastries.
"I hope there will be a means to recuperate the lost RM13,000. They diligently saved money for the wedding, not just for a brief period but over an extended duration, only to be deceived in the end," he expressed.
He added they had filed a police report at the Bandar Seri Jempol police station yesterday.
Jempol district police chief, Superintendent Hoo Chang Hook, confirmed the police report made by the bride's family members.
Following this, he said the police are conducting an investigation under Section 420 of the Penal Code and they have identified the existence of the catering company in question.
Meanwhile, in the comments section, some users suggested taking legal action against the caterer, accusing them of fraud and claiming they were a known scammer.
Facebook user @Hafizan Lutfi commented, "Sir, file a report, do not let people like that live an easy life by deceiving others."
@Bahari Abdul Ghani said "Is this the same catering? This is a confirmed scam. Many vendors have been scammed by them."
@Miro Fazlee said "I tried searching on Facebook. Apparently, many people were also deceived by this caterer."
@Abd Aziz Afiq Zharif shared his near encounter "I almost fell victim too. Luckily, I detected it early. I ordered at my wife's place. I did some food testing as well. Suddenly, several branches of the catering business started closing, leaving only the headquarters in Sungai Buloh. So, they said they would bring all the sets from Sungai Buloh to Pekan. I was not very confident. I met them in Sungai Buloh and discussed with them. They claimed they could do it. Suddenly, news came out that their company was closed."
However, other netizens flooded the comments section on almost every post on their Facebook page, condemning them and urging them to repent and stop scamming people.
@Annisa Wahid said "Wait for the consequences for you and your family for mistreating people like this."
@Cik Ima commented "So nice of you to scam tens of thousands. There is no guilt in their minds and bodies at all. I hope the police investigate thoroughly."
@Shafiq Zulkifli said "To the members and owner of the catering, please take responsibility! Hopefully, the police will catch you."