A Chinese tourist was allegedly insulted at a well-known coffee chain outlet at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on September 18 after struggling to order in English.
According to the tourist, she had tried to use simple English to communicate with the counter staff but was met with a cold attitude. She later learned that the employee had muttered the Malay word “bodoh” – meaning “stupid” – under their breath.
At first, the tourist did not realise the meaning of the word and posted the encounter on social media as a humorous travel anecdote. However, after Malaysian netizens explained that “bodoh” is a derogatory term, her post quickly went viral.
Many social media users condemned the staff member’s behaviour as unprofessional and urged the coffee chain to take action. As of now, the company has not issued an official statement on the incident.
