24-4-2024 (KUALA LUMPUR) A Chinese vlogger living in Malaysia has taken to social media to share her unfortunate experience with an airline staff member who allegedly called her “bodoh” (stupid) during a service request. The incident, which took place while attempting to check in for a flight, has sparked outrage and reignited discussions about customer service standards and cultural sensitivity.
In a TikTok video shared by user 了不起的露娜 (Luna the Incredible), she recounts her struggle with malfunctioning self-service kiosks at the airport. Despite her efforts to document the machine failures as proof for the airline staff, she claims she was met with impatience and rudeness.
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“At first, she asked me to find a better network to try again and if it still doesn’t work, I can pay RM30 per passenger at a manual counter,” Luna explained in her video.
The vlogger, who frequently travels back to her home country, expressed puzzlement at the procedure but followed the staff’s instructions nonetheless. However, when she sought further clarification on how to proceed, she alleges that the staff member uttered the word “Bodoh” (stupid) in response.
“She probably didn’t expect that I would understand her, and I was surprised,” Luna stated. “I asked her how she could be so rude to call me ‘Bodoh,’ but she simply countered with ‘Do you even want to check in or not?'”
The incident left the vlogger extremely dissatisfied and angry, emphasizing that her anger stemmed not from being insulted but from the concern over the incident itself. As a foreigner arriving in Malaysia, such treatment, she noted, severely tarnishes the country’s reputation for hospitality.
Luna further questioned how people would feel if their family members or those who do not speak the language were subjected to such insults. “Does not knowing how to operate a machine justify being verbally abused?” she asked.
