Nabil Luqman

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Social

business

viral

tiktok

issue

backlash

content creator

attitude

rude

community

Tea Thambi

A TikTok user known as Sam Lim (@samlimmmm), popular for his videos where he surprises strangers with money or gifts, recently faced severe backlash for a controversial video featuring a masala tea vendor, Tea Thambi. While his content is often celebrated for showcasing acts of kindness, this particular clip was called out for its alleged racism and belittling behaviour towards the Indian community.
Questionable Behaviour Caught on Camera
In the video, Sam visited a well-known tea stall and offered the vendor RM100 or a &ldquo;mystery water&rdquo; option. When the vendor chose RM100, Sam requested 100 cups of tea and expressed surprise at the small size of the cups used. He implied that RM1 per cup was overpriced for their size and questioned the vendor&rsquo;s business practices.
Sam went on to challenge the vendor to arrange the 100 cups on a side table, during which he insinuated the tea seller&rsquo;s earnings were suspiciously high and even suggested the stall might not pay taxes. His questioning extended to asking the vendor and staff about their nationalities, using terms like &ldquo;Type I&rdquo; and &ldquo;Type B&rdquo; &mdash; believed to reference Malaysian Indians and Bangladeshis, respectively. At one point, he speculated that local authorities like DBKL would soon &ldquo;catch&rdquo; them for operating without proper permits, despite the vendor asserting they were licensed.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Part 2 <a href="https://t.co/OWYhUQBHYk">pic.twitter.com/OWYhUQBHYk</a>
&mdash; amighul deghaman (@ricxxxkiddo) <a href="https://twitter.com/ricxxxkiddo/status/1861230358697779304?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 26, 2024</a></blockquote>

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Sam&rsquo;s behaviour escalated when he demonstrated his &ldquo;improved&rdquo; tea-serving technique by puncturing a bag filled with tea and messily pouring it into cups, despite the vendor&rsquo;s initial meticulous arrangement. His remarks on the tea&rsquo;s cost and the vendor&rsquo;s professionalism were perceived as disrespectful.
The vendor&rsquo;s discomfort was evident throughout the video, and many viewers criticized Sam for his racially insensitive comments and condescending tone. Some even claimed the video was less about showcasing kindness and more about ridiculing the vendor.
Netizens Rally Behind the Vendor
The video sparked widespread outrage across social media platforms like TikTok and X. Many accused Sam of being racist and advised others to stop supporting his content. Comments highlighted the vendor&rsquo;s effort to run a legitimate business and called out Sam for turning what could have been a supportive interaction into a disrespectful spectacle.
Defenders of the vendor noted that the tea stall has previously been featured in reputable local media, indicating it likely operates within legal boundaries. They also pointed out the neat arrangement of the cups before Sam deliberately created a mess. Netizens also compared Sam to influencers like Pin Yang and Khairul Aming (KA), who are known for professionally supporting small businesses without resorting to derogatory comments or sensationalism. While Sam&rsquo;s video may have drawn attention to the vendor, the overwhelmingly negative response suggests that kindness, when performed without respect, can quickly backfire.
Here&rsquo;s some of the comments:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
sam lim ❌ sam sing ✅
&mdash; amighul deghaman (@ricxxxkiddo) <a href="https://twitter.com/ricxxxkiddo/status/1861311424225780041?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 26, 2024</a></blockquote>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none">
kalau bangsa Cina buat camni, terus tak racist eh 😀
&mdash; Jake (@blvnkguy) <a href="https://twitter.com/blvnkguy/status/1861383740272058646?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 26, 2024</a></blockquote>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none">
Peniaga ni dah masuk majlah 3 😅 tgok masa episod dia. Dia graduan tp masa pkp dia mula bisnes ni pastu terus boom sbb area office smpaibukak kedai siap buat manisan Bukan biasa2 laa siap hire ada staff kedai cantik tu Tak dpt nak tgok sambungan cringe betul No respek 🙂&zwj;&harr;️
&mdash; Oli Sykes Stark Targaryen (@nadiyahsusinoo) <a href="https://twitter.com/nadiyahsusinoo/status/1861348302282989838?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 26, 2024</a></blockquote>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none">
Cakap tax tax tax. Ko bayar tax tak? Dari segi body language / facial expression pun mamat ni macam takde nak hormat Thambi jual teh ni. Pastu insist brother tu mcm dia Bangla tanya passport / ic bagai. Mamat ni, please berjumpa dgn aku time dia buat content bodo please.
&mdash; RAMBO (@AronOsman) <a href="https://twitter.com/AronOsman/status/1861290150564909438?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 26, 2024</a></blockquote>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none">
This is plain rude! Dah la asyik duk sebut type B type B. Padahal orang tu dah jawab dia malaysian. Takde adab betul.
&mdash; mood swings ⚡ (@freemovingyana) <a href="https://twitter.com/freemovingyana/status/1861297550105682012?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 26, 2024</a></blockquote>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none">
Dia ni sakit otak ke? So rude . Dia saja cari publisiti dgn buat content merepek mcmni. Tak habis habis type B type B. Type B kepala bana kau lah
&mdash; aira (@SyahiraZunurain) <a href="https://twitter.com/SyahiraZunurain/status/1861373992051056920?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 26, 2024</a></blockquote>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none">
This is the worst person and content creator I have ever seen , how come this guy also can become influencer oh sorry it was not influencer and more like a bullied,stop watching him and stop sharing his content than he would disappearing so soon &hellip;
&mdash; keft kille (@KilleKeft) <a href="https://twitter.com/KilleKeft/status/1861314478119543019?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 26, 2024</a></blockquote>

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This incident serves as a reminder for content creators to handle their interactions with small business owners carefully, ensuring that their actions uplift rather than demean. One thing we can all agree is that no matter how some ideas may bring joy to one person, it&rsquo;s not often that netizens will agree with their ideas and with social media alone, it&rsquo;s also brought up the whole cancel movement which also involves the influencer getting mocked online.
Previously, influencer Andika Putera faced ridicule from M&rsquo;sians after expressing his fascination with the &lsquo;Old Money&rsquo; lifestyle and even creating his own &ldquo;Old Money Club.&rdquo; While his attempt gained significant attention online, it came at the expense of widespread backlash. Many criticized the effort, suggesting it clashed with his "aura," and urged others to have a reality check, pointing out the mismatch between their aspirations and financial realities.
Read: <a href="https://myc.my/articles/3922/msian-netizens-mock-influencer-andika-putera-for-his-wannabe-old-money-club">M&rsquo;sian Netizens Mock Influencer Andika Putera For His Wannabe &ldquo;Old Money Club&rdquo;</a>
It&rsquo;s safe to say this content creator might face a boycott sooner rather than later.
What are your thoughts, let us know in the comments. 
&nbsp;
*Sources: Visual and Reference Credits to Social Media &amp; various cross-references for context.
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From spreading joy to crossing the line—when did it all go wrong?

1f971100d294afdce60237065541bb7909487408e13f69575a82dfb2aa3f8e9f

Netizens Call Out TikToker For Rude Behaviour Towards Popular KL Tea Stall

Netizens Call Out TikToker For Rude Behaviour Towards Popular KL Tea Stall

From spreading joy to crossing the line—when did it all go wrong?

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