Ordering a glass of plain water after a meal and chatting with friends or family instead of soft drink or other drink is a great way to save money while gathering out. However, what is the right price to be charged for just a glass of plain water?
It was happened that RM1.50 is charged for a glass of plain water without refillable in a dining café neither any information nor price in the menu in that café. It just like ‘daylight robbery’ to the customers as the national average charges for 1000 litre is just RM0.65 for domestic and RM1.32 for commercial. Thus, RM0.80 to RM1.50 is consider too much and unreasonable charge for a glass of water.
It is understood that the cost of doing business has been growing higher every year and eatery shop charges for the plain water to cover some costs of electricity and labour is always reasonable. However, they should not charge exorbitant price for just a glass plain water as it leads to profiteering at the expense of the consumer.
Besides, Price Control and Anti- Profiteering Act 2011 has stated that any charge controlled services or goods shall display a list of the prices in order easily to read by any person that intending to purchase such goods or services. Eatery shops that wish to charge for plain water should state clearly in the menu instead of direct include it in the bill that may cause unpleasant situation in the end.
Furthermore,we never know the quality of the water being served as some restaurants do not list them in the menu and the water can come from any source or treatment, be it normal filtration, RO water or just plain water straight from the pipe. Therefore, other than the price, the authorities should focus on the quality of water that has been served.
In a nutshell, every individual should voice out their views if they have been charged exorbitant price for a glass of plain water in the eateries restaurant instead of paying it ‘silently’and also do not forget that we have the right to seek for the source or quality of water served.
Jesslyn Pek Yen Lee
Forum Air Malaysia