KUALA LUMPUR – The lawsuit by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) against the owners of Sunway Lagoon involving a food poisoning incident during a family day event at the theme park last year is now getting closer to trial.
The suit, filed by MCMC on Jan 2 at the Shah Alam High Court, is scheduled for case management before Judge Anita Harun on April 29, according to FMT.
In its claim, MCMC is seeking a full refund of RM1,819,800 paid under a contract dated Aug 5, 2025, as well as RM30,339.75 in medical expenses.
It is also seeking general, aggravated and exemplary damages, as well as costs, alleging breach of contract and negligence by the operator.
The food poisoning incident was reported by Scoop on Nov 5, 2025, affecting more than 800 staff and family members of a government agency during their family day event held in October 2025.
The lawsuit is expected to proceed with case management later this month as both parties prepare for trial, with MCMC represented by Sreenevasan and Sunway Lagoon by Azim, Tunku Farik & Wong.
In its statement of claim, MCMC alleged that concerns over food quality were raised during the event but no action was taken.
“During the family day, an employee of the plaintiff (MCMC) verbally reported to representatives of the defendant that one of the lunch dishes served smelled bad and tasted sour,” the document stated.
It added: “However, no action was taken by the defendant (Sunway Lagoon).”
MCMC also claimed that more than 870 participants experienced symptoms including diarrhoea, vomiting, fever and stomach pain over the following two days, prompting complaints to authorities and further investigations.
Following the incident, the Selangor Health Department reportedly ordered a 14-day closure of the theme park’s kitchen starting Oct 7.
The department later stated in a follow-up release that 322 out of 4,710 participants experienced symptoms, with no deaths or serious cases recorded.
MCMC maintained that the incident resulted from contaminated food and poor food handling practices.
In its filing, it stated: “It is evident that the adverse health reactions were a direct result of matters within the control and responsibility of the defendant.”
The regulator also argued that Sunway Lagoon breached its contractual obligations in providing food and beverage services for the event, and said it suffered operational disruption due to affected staff, as well as reputational damage given the presence of high-ranking officials, including a Cabinet member.
Sunway Lagoon denied liability, insisting that all food was prepared in accordance with standard operating procedures. It said meals were closely monitored, packed within two hours before serving, and regularly checked to ensure freshness.
In its defence, the operator also disputed the scale of the outbreak and said there was no evidence linking its kitchen to the alleged contamination. It further argued that MCMC failed to prove causation and challenged claims that complaints were made during the event.
Sunway Lagoon also suggested that MCMC and attendees may have contributed to the incident through handling and hygiene practices, while rejecting claims of business disruption on the grounds that a regulator does not suffer commercial loss.
In its reply dated April 9, MCMC maintained that all outside food and drinks were prohibited during the event, making the venue’s kitchen the only plausible source of contamination.
The regulator also reiterated that it had suffered disruption to its statutory functions and incurred financial losses.
A previous Scoop report noted that although the theme park’s kitchen was closed for two weeks, the park itself remained open.
This led to criticism of the Health Department for allowing the park to continue operating, even though it had not yet determined whether the source of illness was food, pool water, or both.
According to sources, many attendees at the Oct 4 event began experiencing symptoms of food poisoning — including vomiting, diarrhoea, stomach cramps and dehydration — within an hour of consuming the meals served.
The kitchen was ordered closed from Oct 7 to Oct 21, 2025, for cleaning works to prevent further contamination. – April 14, 2026
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