Today was the Eid holiday to mark the end of the month of fasting and the start of a three day local holiday. I left my hostel at 8.30am and had to make my way to the airport for my lunchtime flight. I was looking for something to eat for breakfast and most places were closed this early and because the Eid prayer had just ended so they didnt have time to open up yet.

Near the bus terminal I spotted a McDonalds. Normally I never go there but since it was the only place open I went to get some food and orange juice. The roads were all deserted due to the holiday and this was the only place I could find.

There were big line ups when I went inside. The displays said they had breakfast specials with coffee for 5Rm ($1.65). After waiting in line I gave my order when my turn came.

I didnt understand what the lady said at first with her english pronounciation but she was telling me the that as today was a holiday all special pricing was cancelled and all items were 2x the regular price. So it was going to cost me 10Rm for an Egg McMuffin + 2Rm for a juice when the regular morning special only cost 5Rm with coffee.

I asked if I can get a Double Egg McMuffin instead since it also cost 10Rm so she had to call the manager to void my transaction and key it in again plus it would cost me an extra 2Rm for juice. As this was taking so long I started wondering why am I paying 10Rm just for a tiny Egg McMuffin when I have been paying less for giant meals everyday?

The manager explained the same thing. As today was a holiday, all specials have been cancelled and all items are DOUBLE the regular price. I have NEVER heard of any McDonalds anywhere in the world cancelling all their specials when they pride themselves on offering the same service in any of their restaurants worldwide.

I told the manager this was a terrible policy. This is a religious public holiday to mark the end of a month of fasting, the first time people have an opportunity to eat (especially since all the other stores are closed), and this is what a corporate chain decides to do?? I know head office makes these decisions not her but this is a terrible way to treat people.

They make how much in global profits worldwide, they cant share in a local celebration by offering any holiday promos or at least maintaining their regular prices, but instead want to charge double pricing??

I was so outraged by this policy I told the manager to take down the big sign saying 5Rm breakfast special so nobody else wastes their time in the line and to give me my money back.

The point is not 12Rm ($4) for a breakfast meal with juice. The point is the principal that a global giant that makes millions on worldwide profits makes an unprecedented move that I have never heard or seen in any of their other markets to charge double their regular prices on a public holiday, when this is the first chance locals have to eat after a month of fasting, and everything else is closed. This would be like CANCELLING ALL COMBO PRICING ON CHRISTMAS DAY AND CHARGING DOUBLE! Can you imagine if they did that in the USA?

When I got to the airport a KFC was there and they had their breakfast specials at normal pricing. I was able to get a multigrain egg and chicken sandwich, with hash brownie and juice for their regular price of 6.90RM. So even their competition in the same market had not adopted such outrageous pricing tactics.

I hope someone from McDonalds see's this entry and feels free to comment as to why they felt the need to charge double on a public holiday, when locals couldnt eat for a month, and everything else was closed, when they have never done this in any other market, nor is even their competition KFC doing this locally? I have included the KFC receipt with date stamp in the pic above

They should donate 50% of all proceeds from that day (the sum of their outright gouging) to local charities.

I have also included ample photos of other meals I was eating in Malaysia and how their pricing was much less with lots more food than the 12Rm McDonald's was asking for a simple Egg McMuffin with juice.

I will never spend a dollar at McDonalds again in my life after this blatantly outrageous behaviour.

Later I posted on the McDonald's Malaysia page and got this response