A tourist from China recently expressed her dissatisfaction with Malaysia, citing language barriers and difficulty navigating Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).
On Wednesday (23 Oct), the tourist shared her experience on Xiaohongshu, vowing never to return to Malaysia after encountering several challenges during her visit.
Her primary complaint centred around the locals’ English accent, which she found difficult to understand, and the absence of Chinese signage at the airport.
The tourist explained that she mistakenly took an expensive express train ride at KLIA, believing it to be a cheaper metro option.
She shared that she paid RM55 (S$16) for the KLIA Express, which offers a non-stop connection to Kuala Lumpur Sentral.
However, she expected to pay only RM8.5 (S$2.58), which is the fare for the KLIA Transit service, a separate train with multiple stops that offers more affordable fares.
“I barely understand English, and the locals’ pronunciation is hard to grasp. I was misled into thinking it was an affordable metro, but it turned out to be the RM55 express line,” she said.
When she realised her mistake, she tried to get a refund but claimed that the staff at KLIA were unable to assist her due to the language barrier.
Frustrated, the tourist said she approached the police for assistance, but they were unable to help. Additionally, she criticised the lack of Chinese-language signage at the airport.
Source: @lalisa on Xiaohongshu
The tourist’s post prompted a wave of responses, with many netizens advising her to adjust her expectations when travelling abroad.
Some asked her to do her own research before going to another country, others said she shouldn’t expect everyone to speak Mandarin.
One user bluntly commented that she might not be suited for international travel.
Source: @lalisa on Xiaohongshu
Translation: Bro, you really aren’t suited for travelling abroad.
Another netizen suggested that learning basic English would make travel easier. “You’re not willing to spend money or learn English, yet you want to travel abroad,” they commented.
“Why not learn from me? I have limited education, so I only travel within China, and it’s perfectly fine.”
Source: @lalisa on Xiaohongshu
Translation: If you’re not willing to spend money or learn English but still want to travel everywhere, why not just learn a bit? I have a low education level, but I still enjoy domestic travel just fine.
Some also pointed out that many Malaysians are fluent in Chinese, English, and Malay, with their Chinese skills often comparable to the tourist’s own.
Source: @lalisa on Xiaohongshu
Translation: Fun fact: Malaysians can speak English, Chinese, and Malay, and their Chinese is often just as good as yours!
Also read: Tourist From Australia Won’t Visit S’pore Again, Cites Rude Locals As A Reason
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Featured image adapted from @lalisa on Xiaohongshu.
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