It’s not uncommon to find Malaysians excelling in the Korean language, given the global influence of Korean entertainment. A few months ago, a video of a local fruit stall vendor in Sabah went viral among Korean netizens for his ability to speak fluent Korean, even using local slang words which attracted tourists to his booth.
On the other hand, it’s quite rare to see Koreans speaking Malay. So, when a video of a dragonbeard candy street vendor in Myeongdong, Seoul, speaking Malay surfaced online, it quickly caught the attention of Malaysian netizens. Watch:
In the now-viral video posted by @/yoonnala879, the vendor himself can be seen humorously explaining the process of making dragon beard candy in Malay, combining honey and candy floss with exaggerated facial expressions. While shaping the dessert, he suddenly exclaimed, “Malaysia power!” and even mentioned a few traditional Malaysian dishes along the way. To the delight of his Malaysian customers, he threw in the phrase “Sedap gila babi,” sparking laughter all around.
To show he’s truly in tune with current trending Malay slang words, the candy maker humorously introduced himself as ‘Kim Abuya Sikibidi’ in other videos. He also demonstrated his knowledge of common Malay names, blurting out names like Shazwani, Amira, and Siti while trying to guess a customer’s name. His proficiency in Bahasa and ability to joke with customers have attracted not only Malaysian tourists but also visitors from Indonesia, Singapore, and Brunei.
Local netizens were amused by the viral videos, with many wondering where and from whom he learnt the Malay slang. Others praised his clever strategy to attract Muslim customers from Malaysia, helping him stand out among other vendors in the area. Some even mentioned adding a visit to his booth to their bucket list for their next trip to Korea.
As Bahasa Melayu becomes increasingly common among foreigners, let’s hope our mother tongue continues to gain recognition and spread internationally. Watch the viral videos here:
@yoonnala kerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrass
@yoonnala malaysia customer part 2
Alia contributed to this article.
