It’s always exciting to hear foreigners speaking Malay when they visit Malaysia, and the same applies when we speak their language during visits to their countries. However, unless they are from Malaysia, Singapore, or even Indonesia, it’s rare to find people who can speak our mother tongue when we travel abroad.
This may come as a surprise, but there is actually an office in Beijing, China, where most, if not all, of the local staff can speak Malay. In a recent viral TikTok post by @/husnaliangliang, she and her colleague took viewers on a tour of their workspace and introduced them to some members of the company who are proficient in Malay. Watch:
Journalists Husna and Isa revealed that the staff at China Media Group (CMG) are able to speak and write in Malay. The two introduced viewers to some of the employees, sharing their experiences of learning the language. First up was Rozana, who began learning Malay in 2005 and later continued her studies at the Communication University of China.
The next person the hosts interviewed was Melur. When asked how she chose her name, she explained that her Malay language lecturer had given each female student a name associated with flowers. Finally, the reporters interviewed their boss, Fairus. Husna asked her about her experience working with foreigners in the office, particularly Isa. Fairus explained that Isa has been a great addition to the team, contributing to the company’s Malay-language content and always willing to assist his colleagues.
Finally, Husna asked Isa about his experience working at CMG, to which he responded that he feels right at home, as everyone speaks Malay. “At first, I thought I would be working with people who only speak Mandarin, but once I started, I discovered that everyone here speaks my national language, which makes my job even more exciting,” he said.
After the video went viral, Malaysians were amazed by how fluent the Chinese staff at CMG were in speaking Malay. Some even argued that they were more fluent than Malaysians are in their own mother tongue. Others developed a greater appreciation for the language after hearing foreigners speak it so smoothly.
Watch the viral clip below:
@husnaliangliang Pejabat China yang bercakap Bahasa Melayu? Hari ini Husna akan mengikuti @IzBeijing🇲🇾🇨🇳 , wartawan Kumpulan Media China (CMG) untuk mengunjungi pejabatnya di Beijing dan berkenal rakan-rakan China di dalam itu! #CinaCakapBahasa #CeritaPenggunaBahasaMelayudiChina #HusnaLiang
Source: TikTok
