Filmmaker debunks Rafizi’s eating out statement

SHAH ALAM - SHAH ALAM - Popular director and actor Michael Ang today debunked Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli's statement that eating out was expensive.

Taking to Instagram, Ang posted a short video showing the groceries he bought to make home-cooked chicken noodles soup and made a comparison of the prices if he were to eat the same meal at a restaurant.

In his post, he wrote that chicken noodle soup would generally cost RM9 while buying your own ingredients would cost RM16 per-plate.

Earlier this week, Rafizi had said that a large part of people's income were spent on eating out.

Rafizi had labelled eating out as an "unhealthy practice” resulting to people experiencing a decrease in income and becoming more sensitive to sudden inflation in the prices of cooked food, despite the core inflation decreased.

Ang also lambasted Deputy Domestic Trade and Costs of Living Minister Fuziah Salleh following video of her purchasing groceries for less than RM200 at a supermarket in Langkawi, Kedah.

Fuziah has since clarified that it was a video from July and it had been taken out of context, adding that it was politically motivated against her.

Ang said he was conducting a research on whether cooking at home was cheaper or more expensive than eating out.

"I went to a supermarket to buy groceries to cook and made a comparison based on what the minister has said.

"Cooking one meal for six people costs RM96, so basically its RM16 per person. If we eat out, a bowl of soup would cost RM9. Sorry minister, your theory can't be used," he posted on his Instagram @michaelang38.

Checks on the comment section found that netizens were divided with some felt it was worth the money while others felt the opposite.

Instagram user @Aqyeala said it was the worth it because the home cooked meal can be eaten multiple times while eating at restaurant has its limits in portion.

"It's cheaper to buy outside but when we cook, we can eat multiple times unti we're full.

"If you eat outside, you'll be full on the spot and if you get hungry at night you have to purchase the food again so for me its better to cook," she said.

Meanwhile, user Mariam Rohana said it was expensive in the current situation to buy groceries and cook home-cooked meals.

"Currently its even more expensive to buy groceries and cook at home.

"I spend RM300 for groceries and it only last for one to two weeks only, so I have to spend at least another RM300 to purchase more groceries.

"In this case, what the minister (Fuziah) tried to convey does not make any sense," she said.