Netizens all aflutter over $3,124 Alaskan king crab in Malaysia

It is not unusual for seafood dinners to cost you a hefty sum but to be charged RM9,636 ($3,124) for a live Alaskan king crab is more than excessive.

A picture of an RM11,578.40 restaurant bill from a restaurant in George Town, Penang has gone viral online.

Not knowing the full story, the bill sparked debates on issues from the economy to the excesses of the wealthy, reports The Star.

However, the truth of the matter is that it was a cashier's honest mistake.

The true price of the 2.2kg crab was RM 969 but due to the peak period, the cashier accidentally keyed in an extra '6'.

The error was rectified immediately and a new bill was issued.

However, the customer had posted the voided bill to Facebook which started circulating almost instantaneously.

In order to clarify the matter, the restaurant, Crab & Lobster, posted photos of both the voided and correct bills to The Star.

“As you can see from the times printed on the receipts, the mistake was corrected right away.

“We hope people will stop spreading misleading information,” said a member of the restaurant’s management, who declined to be named.