“It has helped a lot in business” – Traders in China Want to Master Malay to Attract Tourists

Traders at a market in Beijing are employing special tactics in hopes of attracting Malaysian tourists to their stores.

In an interview with BERNAMA, two women in a shop in China’s Pearl Market were heard calling out in Malay. “Mari adik, mari kakak, barang murah tapi berkualiti!” (Come here, brother, come here, sister, cheap but quality goods!”).

The sisters, identified as Fatima Liu and her younger sister Aisha, successfully managed to capture the attention of  Malaysian tourists, who walked straight into their shop.

Fatima and Aisha, who run a business selling household items such as bedsheets and tablecloths, shared that their ability to speak Malay not only simplifies business transactions but also fosters closer relationships with people from these nations.

“Business dealings become easier and more profitable because customers are also attracted when they hear a foreign trader speaking Malay.”

“That’s why I always encourage traders here to learn Malay instead of focusing solely on English. If learning Malay can bring us profitable business, why not learn it?” said Fatima.

Aisha shared that they began learning Malay informally about 15 years ago when their shop often welcomed customers from Malaysia.

“I started by learning one word at a time, which eventually formed a sentence. Over time, I became more fluent. For example, today I learned the word makan (eat), tomorrow cuci (wash), then wangi (fragrant), and finally, I could form a complete sentence,” she shared.

“At first, it was a bit difficult, but over time, it got better. Moreover, mastering Malay has helped a lot in business. The advantage of speaking Malay has also allowed me to establish agents in Malaysia and Indonesia, which has helped expand my business.”

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