FOR a 95-year-old coffee shop in Segamat, a social media post that remained online for only about three minutes has raised concerns over the lasting impact of inaccurate information on a long-established business.
In a statement, Nan Yang Coffee Shop said it had lodged a complaint with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) over a Facebook post by a page identified as “Halal Inquiry Company Direktori”.
The business said the post featured images of its premises and menu taken from GrabFood and contained statements that could lead the public to believe it sold pork.
Nan Yang Coffee Shop clarified that it does not sell pork or use pork oil, saying the confusion was believed to have stemmed from the words “Mee Pok” on its menu.
It explained that “Mee Pok” refers to a type of flat noodle rather than pork, but said the post had the potential to affect public perception of the business.
The coffee shop said the post was deleted after about three minutes, but screenshots, shares and discussions could continue circulating even after the original content was removed.
An apology was subsequently issued, with the party acknowledging “errors and misunderstandings concerning the wording and information provided”, but the coffee shop questioned why comments were not enabled on the apology post.
The business said the issue went beyond a social media post, as its reputation was tied to its employees, their families, suppliers, rent, salaries and the livelihoods of those connected to the coffee shop.
Nan Yang Coffee Shop said it had retained screenshots and a chronology of the incident and was prepared to provide the material to media organisations, adding that it wanted facts, transparency and accountability rather than to prolong the dispute.
