Hari Raya kuih was seen thrown into a rubbish bin in a HDB estate just days after the announcement that Phase 2 (Heightened Alert) measures will kick in.

A photo of the wholesale trashing of what looks like edible food was put up on Facebook on Sunday, May 16, the day Phase 2 (Heightened Alert) started.

Although not mentioned explicitly, the food was assumed to have been thrown out by a household in the estate.

Lamentable act

But the act of tossing out food did not go down well with the person who posted the photo and commenters who reacted to it.

The post's caption suggested that the deed was done in protest against the inability to host guests for another year this Hari Raya Puasa on May 13.

The post's caption in Malay, translated to English, read:

Pretend to protest

Sh*t, food thrown away

2 pax per household

Want to go Hari Raya visiting, don’t want to sit at home

Want to blame government import, if you don’t import then can you do the work?

You guys so choosy

Forget it, sit down and shut up, you won’t feel so bad

If got circuit breaker, better still, haiii

Responses

The photo drew strong reactions from commenters, with many calling out the act as a pity and a waste, as well as questioning if an alternative to dumping food could have been found.

One commenter wrote that it is "lame" to throw out kuih, when there are others in need who might not even be able to afford to buy such treats.

Giving the benefit of the doubt, some questioned if the food could have already gone bad and had to be discarded, but the retort was that the treats were thrown out just a few days after Hari Raya Puasa, implying that they would not have become inedible so quickly.

Suggestions of giving the food to the food bank or other organisations who can pass them on were met with both agreement and disagreement.

The main concern raised was that hygiene issues during this pandemic would deter recipients from accepting such food these days.

Other commenters who waded into the discussion tried to defuse the situation by saying that the real reason for the food being discarded is not known, and there is no way to draw conclusions.

Top photos via jelajahmaya & Asyurah Rose Lann