Allegedly accused of "eating noodles without paying" at a coffee shop, Datuk Dominic Lau, the Perikatan Nasional candidate for the Bayan Lepas constituency, made a special trip today to apologize to the concerned hawker!

Lau expressed regret for causing stress and inconvenience to the hawker, Ms Lai, due to the incident of "forgetting to pay."

"I hope my political opponents, whatever issues they have with me, won't burden hawkers and the people. Such tactics are very unprofessional."

Dominic Lau, who is also the national chairman of the Gerakan, accompanied by Gerakan Teluk Kumbar branch chairman Datuk Chai Swee Guan, visited the Chin Teik Hin Coffee Shop in Teluk Kumbar on August 8 to apologize to the female hawker, Ms Lai.

He explained that Bayan Lepas is a key constituency, and even minor incidents can be blown out of proportion by malicious individuals trying to create disturbances.

"We ordered 5 bowls of noodles for only RM25. Would we not pay? My team frequently comes here for breakfast."

He clarified that since he is a candidate, he cannot personally pay for meals, so his team covers the expenses.

In response, Ms. Lai expressed that she knew it was a misunderstanding and that the Facebook post accusing Lau of "eating noodles without paying" wasn't from her.

Datuk Chai Swee Guan explained that after the incident, he personally came to pay at the noodle stall on the same day at 12 noon. However, the hawker had already closed the shop, so he instructed the coffee shop owner to pass the payment to Ms Lai the next day.

Last Saturday, Lau led a campaign team to Taman Sahabat in Teluk Kumbar and had breakfast at the Chin Teik Hin Coffee Shop in Teluk Kumbar. Upon leaving, he was accused of not paying the hawker, and the incident spread widely on social media. Posts claimed that Lau and his campaign team had eaten noodles without paying.

After this incident came to light, Lau responded earlier, asserting that it was a pure misunderstanding and there was no reason for them not to pay for the food. As a candidate, every time he dines, his campaign team members are responsible for the payments.