Child unable to eat or drink after getting scalded when McDonald’s Queensway staff gave her hot water instead of cold
A family outing took a distressing turn after a young child was scalded by boiling hot water that was allegedly given to her instead of cold water at a McDonald’s outlet in Queensway.
The incident was shared on Instagram by Mr Ridhuan Muhamad on Friday (6 Feb), drawing attention to what he described as a lapse in care and communication.
“Because of this, she scalded her tongue, and she couldn’t eat or drink properly,” he wrote in the post.
“And she’s even traumatised at the sight of her water bottle.”
Source: @supersix.10 on Instagram
Request for cold water allegedly misunderstood
According to Mr Ridhuan, 41, a full-time football coach, the incident occurred at around 6pm on Sunday (1 Feb), at McDonald’s Queensway in Ridout Tea Garden.
He told MS News that he had approached the food collection counter and asked a staff member to help refill his daughter’s insulated bottle with cold water.
“The counter was not busy, and the staff took my bottle without asking any questions or giving any confirmation,” he said.
Mr Ridhuan added that the filling area was not visible to customers and that no warning was given when the bottle was returned.
Picture courtesy of Mr Ridhuan
“I assumed it contained cold water, as requested,” he said.
The bottle was later found to have been filled with hot, boiled water instead.
Child scalded after drinking from bottle
After taking a sip, Mr Ridhuan’s daughter scalded her tongue.
He said she struggled to eat and drink following the incident, and became fearful even at the sight of her own water bottle.
Source: @supersix.10 on Instagram
Seeing his daughter in pain was devastating for the family.
“No parent ever wants to see their child go through this,” he wrote.
Staff allegedly admitted mishearing request
Mr Ridhuan said his wife later asked which staff member had refilled the bottle.
According to him, the staff member admitted she had done so, initially claiming that hot water had been requested.
“I clarified that I had requested cold water, and only then did she state that she did not hear properly,” he told MS News.
He added that no clarification was sought from him before the bottle was filled.
Source: @supersix.10 on Instagram
Father disappointed but acknowledges parental responsibility
Mr Ridhuan also expressed disappointment with how the situation was handled after his daughter was injured.
“I was deeply disappointed by the response of the staff involved,” he said, adding that there was “no empathy or remorse shown”.
He claimed that instead of checking on his daughter’s condition, the staff member later asked for receipts related to the family’s food orders.
Mr Ridhuan acknowledged that he and his wife should have checked the bottle before giving it to their daughter.
“Yes, as parents, we always have a responsibility to be careful when handling our children,” he said.
Source: @supersix.10 on Instagram
However, he stressed that service staff also have a duty to listen carefully and clarify requests, particularly when children are involved.
“Assuming instead of asking is where problems start,” he said.
Outlet manager offers vouchers and apologies
After Mr Ridhuan tagged McDonald’s Singapore in his Instagram post, the outlet reached out to follow up.
In a message seen by MS News, the restaurant manager apologised for the distress caused and said customer safety was a priority.
The outlet also offered 10 “Be Our Guest” cards as a goodwill gesture and wished the child a smooth recovery.
Picture courtesy of Mr Ridhuan
Mr Ridhuan said the family appreciated the follow-up, but noted that the incident had already caused significant distress.
Mr Ridhuan said he shared the incident publicly in the hope that both parents and food outlets would be more careful.
“A small mistake can cause big harm,” he wrote, adding that the experience was “a painful reminder” to always double-check items given to children.
McDonald’s calls incident a ‘misunderstanding’
In response to media queries by MS News, a McDonald’s spokesperson described the incident as “a misunderstanding at the point of service”.
“We are aware of the incident and take the matter seriously,” the spokesperson told MS News.
“Our preliminary review indicates there was a misunderstanding at the point of service regarding the request for hot or cold water.”
The spokesperson added that McDonald’s had reached out to the family and would continue to offer assistance and support.
The company is also reviewing the incident to reinforce service procedures and improve communication, particularly when handling hot items.
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Featured image adapted from @supersix.10 on Instagram and courtesy of Mr Ridhuan.
