A three-year-old girl in Singapore suffered tongue burns after a McDonald’s employee gave her family boiling water instead of cold, her father has said.
Former Singaporean national footballer Ridhuan Muhamad, 41, said in a Facebook post that the family visited the Queensway shopping centre on 1 February. They ordered cold water for their daughter, but were given boiling water served in an insulated bottle, which caused her to scald her tongue.
“If not because of the staff member’s complacency and negligence, this incident could have been avoided,” Mr Muhamad told AsiaOne. He acknowledged that he and his wife should have checked the bottle before their daughter drank, adding that they hoped the outlet would improve its checks to prevent a similar incident.
A McDonald’s spokesperson said a preliminary review indicated “a misunderstanding at the point of service” regarding hot or cold water. The chain said it had reached out to the family and was reviewing procedures to reinforce clearer communication when handling hot items.
Mr Muhamad said his daughter is now stable but “traumatised at the sight of her water bottle”. The incident follows a separate case in November 2025 where a two-year-old girl was hospitalised after drinking from a McDonald’s bottle suspected to contain disinfectant.
