Chinese Influencer Criticizes Food and Lack of Mandarin Speakers in Semporna

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Malaysians often debate differing opinions, but there’s one thing that unites us all — FOOD! Well, Malaysian food, of course.

We hold a deep appreciation for the beautiful flavours of dishes created within our borders, with iconic classics such as nasi lemak, char kway teow (CKT), and roti canai standing out as beloved favourites.

When outsiders critique Malaysian cuisine, it’s common for us to feel defensive and protective of our food and country.

Recently, a user on the X platform (@anthraxxx781) shared a video of a woman claiming to be a tourist from China. She reportedly traveled to Semporna, Sabah, where she complained about locals not speaking Chinese.

In the comments section, another user (@xgpingx) translated the woman’s remarks. According to him, the woman arrived in Malaysia and was ‘almost starving’ on her first day.

She filmed various dishes, stating they were the local options but unsatisfactory for consumption. Fortunately, she found a Chinese restaurant and ordered a special chicken rice dish.

However, she found fault with the food, claiming it was too watery and lacked flavour.

In the video originally posted on Douyin, the woman, an influencer, expressed frustration at the lack of Mandarin speakers, as reported by The Star.

She attempted to locate a seafood restaurant but faced challenges in communication due to her Mandarin-only proficiency.

“Who says there are many Chinese people here and I don’t need to use English to communicate? Since I arrived yesterday, I have met three to four Chinese people. The others can’t speak Mandarin,” she said, according to the translator.

This led to public criticism of the influencer, who seemed to expect Mandarin fluency in an Islamic-centric nation.

Some commented that her approach appeared to criticise the Chinese community in Malaysia for not speaking Mandarin.

Others pointed out that the people in Semporna have their own native language, in addition to being fluent in Malay and English.

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