What’s worse than a bad event?

An event where the food runs out halfway through.

That was exactly what a group of Multimedia University (MMU) Cyberjaya students experienced during their Malam Sinergi welcome‑back‑to‑uni gathering. What could have turned into a complete disaster has since gone viral, after a last‑minute solution that nobody expected actually worked.

Hundreds still hungry

According to the organising team, University Peer Group (UPG), the night started off smoothly. Students were engaged, the vibes were good, and the event seemed like a solid way to kick off the new semester.

Then came the words no Malaysian ever wants to hear at a gathering.

“Eh… food habis already.”

There were still hours left in the programme, with hundreds of students hanging around — and increasingly empty stomachs to match.

Image Credit: Domino's Pizza

To make matters worse, it was early January, a time when most students are recovering from year‑end spending. The bulk of the budget had already been used, and topping up catering at the last minute wasn’t as simple as paying a bit more.

“We needed help fast. The food was gone, everyone was hungry, and the event wasn’t over,” one UPG organiser shared.

The last‑minute idea nobody thought would actually work

As the organising team huddled together trying to figure out how to salvage the night, one student decided to take a chance on what felt like an unlikely option — reaching out to Domino’s.

With not much to lose, the team contacted their nearest Domino’s outlet and asked if they could help provide food for the event. At that point, the goal was simple: keep the crowd fed enough to prevent the situation from spiralling.

They weren’t sure the request would go anywhere. But they had to try.

A “pizza convoy” rolls in

Not long after, students began noticing something out of the ordinary.

A mini convoy of roughly 10 Domino’s delivery riders started arriving at the venue, each balancing stacks of hot pizza boxes, all heading toward the same event.

Those who were there said the atmosphere shifted almost instantly. The earlier frustration and boredom gave way to excitement as more boxes kept coming in, turning the night around in the span of minutes.

Image Credit: Domino's Pizza

Videos of the riders streaming in and the growing mountain of pizzas began appearing on TikTok and Instagram that same night. By the next morning, clips captioned with phrases like “MMU food crisis saved by pizza” were spreading across Malaysian timelines.

Netizens didn’t just react to the free food. Many said they could actually feel the stress and eventual relief the organisers must have gone through, having experienced similar “everything is falling apart” moments themselves.

The timing made it even more relatable. January is that awkward month when budgets are tight after the holidays, yet social commitments, events and responsibilities keep going as usual. Watching a group of students scramble for a solution — and actually find one — struck a familiar chord.

Image Credit: Domino's Pizza

According to Domino’s, this was exactly the kind of situation they had in mind when introducing their Emergency Pizza initiative. Rather than focusing purely on faster delivery or app features, the idea was meant to give customers a backup option for when things don’t go according to plan.

How Domino’s “Emergency Pizza” actually works

Based on what we found, customers who place an online order with Domino’s during the campaign period from 5 to 18 January 2026 automatically receive a free Regular Emergency Pizza e‑voucher added to their account.

This voucher can be redeemed later, anytime up until 15 February 2026, and is meant to be used when an unexpected situation hits, whether that’s a failed cooking attempt, surprise guests, or, as the MMU students discovered, an event that suddenly runs out of food.

From awkward silence to viral moment

Whatever your thoughts on viral brand moments, the MMU incident showed one very clear thing.

For a group of student organisers facing a very awkward situation — and a very hungry crowd — that backup pizza turned out to be a genuine lifesaver.

And after watching a pizza convoy rescue an entire university event, you might just find yourself thinking about keeping an emergency pizza in mind too.

Featured Image Credit: Domino's Pizza