According to a widely circulated Facebook post by Nailash, a nail salon located in Johor Bahru’s (JB) Paradigm Mall, a Singaporean woman reportedly refused to pay for a pedicure she received from the salon.
The salon claimed the customer informed them she had no cash and thus could not pay them immediately.
Giving her the benefit of the doubt, the salon waited for the payment, which never arrived. After attempting to contact her several times through WhatsApp, the woman replied with a stupid joke, leaving the salon empty-handed.
The Incident
As per Nailash’s Facebook post, the woman visited their shop on 3 April 2023 for a pedicure that cost $26 (RM88). However, after providing the service, the woman claimed she had insufficient cash and promised to transfer the fee later.
The salon, trusting her words, decided to wait for the payment. They believed it was a small amount that could be paid anytime and thus gave her the benefit of the doubt.
But ten days passed, and by 13 April 2023, the salon had yet to receive the payment. Frustrated, they turned to Facebook to address the issue, sharing that they did not aim to shame the woman but simply wanted the compensation they were owed.
They also attached CCTV screenshots of the alleged perpetrator during her pedicure at the salon to support their claim.
Customer Feels No Remorse For Her Actions
Despite the multiple attempts made by Nailash to contact the customer through WhatsApp, the woman allegedly blocked each number that reached out to her.
Nailash had warned the customer that they would resort to publicising the incident on social media if she failed to pay for her pedicure. In response, the customer showed no remorse and replied to the salon employee with a disrespectful “deez nuts” joke.
For those unfamiliar with the phrase, “deez nuts” is a figurative expression used to disrupt and show disrespect to the conversation.
Clearly, she not only felt no remorse for her actions but thought the salon’s attempt at contacting her was laughable as she ended the message with the acronym “lmao”, which stands for “laugh my ass off”.
Cheap Singaporeans a Common Sight in Malaysia
Due to Singapore’s high cost of living, many residents have turned to Malaysia for cheaper goods and services. Since the border reopened in March 2022, Singaporeans have crossed to Malaysia to take advantage of their lower prices.
Recently, a clip of a man with a Singapore-registered vehicle pumping RON95 in JB went viral in March 2023.
Since August 2010, selling RON95 to foreigners and foreign vehicles has been illegal in Malaysia. The RON95 fuel, which costs only $0.66 per litre, is only available for Malaysia-registered vehicles as the Malaysian government heavily subsidises the cost.
This incident is not an isolated case. Just a month before, on 17 February 2023, another video surfaced of a driver in JB filling up containers with petrol and storing them in the boot of his car.
This practice is also illegal and poses a significant safety risk, as petrol is highly flammable.
While it is understandable for us Singaporeans to flock to Malaysia for cheaper goods and services, there are limits to being frugal and breaking the law to save some money by refusing to pay just $26, in this case, certainly crosses that line.
After witnessing the customer’s attitude in her response, the salon decided to post on Facebook, hoping that someone who knew the woman would help them obtain justice.
They expressed their disappointment not only with her failure to pay for their nail services, but also with how regrettable it was that someone with a “pretty face” could have such a bad attitude.
In Singapore, one can file a claim with the Small Claims Tribunal if they are owed money but have not received payment from the debtor. The Tribunal can then order the debtor to pay the owed amount.
However, since the incident occurred in Malaysia, it is still being determined to what extent Singaporean or Malaysian laws can assist the salon.