A Threads post by a Malaysian woman sharing her experience dining at an eatery in Kuala Lumpur went viral recently and sparked a debate among social media users.
In the post, the woman, @fatin.amalik, revealed how she and her husband were reprimanded by a female staff at the eatery for ordering in Bahasa Melayu and were asked to use the English language instead.
A Malaysian couple was told by a staff of a Kuala Lumpur eatery to order in English instead of Bahasa Melayu
At the start of the post, @fatin.amalik asserted that we usually hear about certain people in the US who would flip out when hearing foreigners speaking in their native tongue while in the country.
However, she noted that her experience at the undisclosed Kuala Lumpur eatery was the exact opposite, as she was told to speak in English while back home in Malaysia.
She asserted,
"This one time, I came home to Malaysia and we went to a restaurant in Kuala Lumpur. I ordered in Bahasa Melayu but was reprimanded by the waitress. She said, ‘Can you speak English? I don’t understand you.'
“I was stunned for a moment. I was like, is this the US or Malaysia? Hahaha!”
However, @fatin.amalik said she wasn't too bothered by what had transpired, as we Malaysians are predominantly multi-lingual or at least bi-lingual anyway.
She added,
“I'm guessing the waitress wasn't Malaysian and maybe just arrived in Malaysia and hadn't picked up Bahasa Melayu yet. But damn, her tone feels like she wanted to pick a fight. Even my husband was surprised.”
Malaysians share their two cents on the incident
In the replies to the Threads post, many Malaysians chimed in and gave their opinion on what had transpired.
One commenter offered a quote that one can use against those who insist others speak in English, “We speak English because we can speak English. You speak English because you can only speak English. We are not the same and don't drag us to your level.”
Meanwhile, one netizen claimed that in Malaysia, some people refuse to learn Bahasa Melayu and that even some Malays feel embarrassed to speak the national language.
Besides that, one Malaysian bemoans how many restaurants and cafes in our country are starting to employ foreigners, including waiters from the Philippines. The commenter added that this resulted in locals having to speak English as the foreign workers don't want to learn Bahasa Melayu.
Another commenter said that he loathes those who stay in Malaysia but don't understand the national language, stressing that those who want to work here must learn Bahasa Melayu as the onus shouldn't be on locals having to speak in English.
So, what is your opinion on this matter? Do share your thoughts in the comments.
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