An individual who purchased food at a Ramadan bazaar in Malaysia to show support for local vendors was taken aback to find live maggots in her fried chicken.

In a video shared on her TikTok account on February 23, the person expressed dismay at the subpar food quality standards observed by some vendors.

"It's very disheartening and disappointing to see some vendors being dishonest. We pay for the food with our hard-earned money, not for free. I didn't plan to cook today because I wanted to support the vendors, but I never imagined I would receive something like this," she lamented.

"Don't compromise on cleanliness and food quality just to make a quick buck."

As per the caption of the post, the bazaar is believed to be situated in Taman Jana in Taiping, Perak.

Despite feeling upset about the incident, the individual expressed gratitude that her son noticed the pests before consuming the contaminated fried chicken.

"This is not just a financial loss, but it has also ruined the family's mealtime during iftar," she remarked, mentioning that she had made the payment through a QR code, providing evidence of purchase.

"I usually don't spend my money on food of this quality. Hopefully, this serves as a lesson for other traders as well."

In the comments section, several internet users raised concerns about food safety, with some suggesting that she should request a refund.

"Go back and demand a refund. You can also lodge a complaint at a clinic. Inform them that you have consumed contaminated food, and they will provide necessary treatment," one user advised.

"My brother bought fried chicken in the morning. The chicken was still hot on the outside. It tasted okay initially, but then he discovered the bones were infested with worms. He ended up vomiting," shared another commenter.

Another user hypothesized that the food might have been left uncovered.

"This food might have been left exposed without being properly sealed. If flies laid eggs on it and it was left unattended for a while, maggots would hatch. Let's hope people exercise more caution when purchasing uncovered food," the user pointed out.

xingying.koh@asiaone.com