Update, Sep. 4, 2018: A Cathay Cineplexes spokesperson gave the following statement in response to Mothership's queries:

"Snacks sold at Cathay Cineplexes Cinesnax are not halal-certified, even though they are pork free and lard free.

We are sorry for having fallen short in our service to one of our customers. We have conveyed our apologies to the customer, and thanked her for sharing the incident so that we could learn from it and improve. Following an internal investigation, we have counselled the duty manager concerned on handling of such matters to ensure that we put our customers first at all times.

At Cathay Cineplexes, we are commited to providing our customers with the best experiences at our cinemas. Serving with integrity and being proactive to satisfy our customers' needs are integral to the service standards we have set. We constantly strive to improve and challenge ourselves to even surpass these standards."

Snacks like popcorn and hot dogs are something to indulge in when it's time to watch a movie at the cinemas.

And that was exactly what a lady and her friend wanted to do when they went to watch the Malaysian movie Munafik 2 at the Cathay Cineplexes outlet in Causeway Point.

However, as related in an Instagram story by Lydia Izzati, her experience was so outstanding that it was re-posted by two different users to Facebook and Twitter, where they went viral with over 1,200 shares and 10,000 retweets.

Told that hotdogs not halal

Here's what happened to Lydia, according to her Instagram story:

• Lydia and her friend had booked a pair of tickets online to watch a movie.
• Her friend also ordered a hotdog combo to go along with the tickets.
• At the collection counter, they asked the staff if they could order another set of hotdogs.
• The staff, who happened to be a Malay Muslim, informed them that the hotdogs are actually not halal.

Rude remarks

Upon knowing that the hotdogs are not halal for consumption, Lydia and her friend then asked the staff if they could perhaps change their order.

The staff then approached his manager, and this was what Lydia allegedly overheard the manager telling the Malay staff:

"We also never say halal or not halal, what. So if you keep saying this to people then every time must do refund/ exchange."

Lydia noted that the manager looked angry.

While Lydia was also angry at the manager for being "unprofessional and unethical", she could not do much, as there was a long queue forming behind her and the show had already started.

Cathay's halal certification expired in 2015

In case you didn't know, Cathay Cineplexes' snacks at selected outlets were previously certified halal in 2014.

However, as of April 1, 2015, they are no longer halal-certified.

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Mixed reactions

Generally, movie-goers were thankful for this revelation and heads up.

Some, however, thought that it should be obvious that if there were no halal signages put up, then chances are, the food served isn't halal for consumption:

While others deemed Cathay's non-halal snacks as "old news":

Problematic manager

However, others figured that the problem here isn't about whether the hotdogs are halal or not, but rather, the way the manager handled the issue.

Here's Lydia's Instagram story, in case you missed it:

Mothership has reached out to Cathay Cineplexes for comment and will update if they reply.

Top image screenshot via @lydiaizzati