PichaEats doubles down on refugee support in MY despite fake food order

Social enterprise PichaEats has said that a recent setback that saw it accepting a fake 500-person catering order for a purported event at University Malaya (UM) will not dent its commitment to delivering the best hospitality and meeting the needs of its clients.

"This incident has tightened due diligence processes in PichaEats, and we hope it serves as a cautionary reminder for our fellow businesses. Our dedication to excellence remains unwavering, and we will continue to provide exceptional service to our clients," said PichaEats in a statement. 

Last week, a fictitious 500-person catering order was made with PichaEats. The order was for a fake event at UM. Upon discovering the scam, PichaEats filed a police report. However, by the time PichaEats withdrew from the fake event, the ingredients had already been purchased and preparation was underway. 15 chefs at the organisation were also impacted, it said. 

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To mitigate the financial impact, PichaEats launched an "emergency sale" on social media to sell off food that can't be kept for upcoming orders, all at a reduced price. A total of 120 pax of food were also donated to the Sentul PPR community. 

"PichaEats extends heartfelt gratitude to everyone who supported them during this difficult time. The community's response transformed a potential crisis into a memorable day of solidarity and resilience. The refugee chefs, touched by the generosity and care, expressed their sincere thanks," said PichaEats in a statement. 

According to PichaEats, the incident highlighted another cause close to the enterprise's heart - the Gaza fundraiser aimed at helping evacuate the families of Palestinian chefs. The increased visibility on social media allowed more people to contribute to the cause, said PichaEats. 

"At the end of the day, PichaEats’ vision is to see a world where everyone has rights to have hope and opportunities by enabling new beginnings for communities seeking refuge, cultivating empathy and inspiring change through food for everyday people," it added. 

"For the past eight years, PichaEats have been dedicated to supporting the refugee community in Malaysia, where opportunities are scarce. Believing in equal rights for everyone, PichaEats is also committed to educating more people about the refugee situation in Malaysia and why we do what we do. We deeply appreciate the community we have built, a community that believes in equal rights and opportunities for all." 

Meanwhile, UM has released a statement in response to PichaEats' "PSA for businesses" statement. 

In UM's statement, the university confirmed that there were no offers issued to the social enterprise. The university added that it takes the purported deceitful attempt seriously as it has misused its trademark and affected its image. 

UM also explained that official orders from the institution would be done via its 'UM procurement and payment management system'. In the PichaEats incident, the order was placed with a text messaging app. 

It added that parties could verify offers received by forwarding them to the institution's corporate and communications department. 

Moving forward, the university is considering measures including lodging a police report and taking legal action, it said. 

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